The Union of Factory Workers (French: Union Centrale des Travailleurs de Fabrique, Dutch: Centrale der Fabriekwerkers) was a general union in Belgium.
Various local unions of factory workers were established in Belgium around the turn of the 20th century. In 1908, Christ Mahlman attempted to unite these unions under the name the Belgian Factory Workers' Union. Although the initiative initially struggled, the union was reestablished in 1910 as the "Union of Factory Workers," affiliated with the Trade Union Commission. Initially a small organization with only 3,500 members in 1913, it experienced rapid growth during World War I, reaching a membership of 51,283 by 1920.[1][2]
The union's rapid growth led to numerous demarcation disputes with other unions. Consequently, at the beginning of 1921, it merged with the recently founded Building and Wood Workers' Union to form the General Union of Building, Furnishing and Other Industries.[1]
The union was led by national secretary August De Bruyne. From 1919, Dore Smets also served as a district secretary.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c "CENTRALE DER FABRIEKWERKERS / CENTRALE DES OUVRIERS DE FABRIQUE (1910-1920)". ODIS. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
- ^ Vandaele, Kurt (2002). "Begeesterd door de telduivel". Brood & Rozen (1): 32.