Labour struggles in enterprises and the 25th April revolution: from economic claim to political movement - 1st phase

Abstract

A first analysis on the social movement of working classes in connection with the 25^th April revolution is presented here. The main part is made of an extensive approach to the «labour struggles» that took place between the 25^th April and the 31^st May 1974, emphasizing the claiming themes and the forms of struggling at the enterprise level. On the one hand, this analysis is framed by a schematic description of certain fundamental contradictions that were becoming more and more acute before April, 25^th, in Portugal. On the other hand, preceding such an analysis, there is a study on conflict in the enterprises during the period of time before the revolution. The research achieved by the authors of this article shows - either as to the claiming themes or as to the forms of struggling- that from the first weeks after the revolution a processus of passing to the «power question», a transition from the mere economic claim to the political movement, began to be drawn among the working classes.