Saga - 1969, Page 129

TIíE BIRTH OF THE LABOUR MOVEMENT
IN ICELAND, 1887—1901
In this work the author deals with the first steps taken towards
organizing trade unions in Iceland, and also attempts to aecount for
the reasons for their birth and general development until 1902. The
author’s aim is, in particular, to try through his research to account
for the reasons for the rise of the Icelandic Labour movement at the
end of the 19th century.
In the first chapter the general political development in Europe
is referred to and the effeets of this felt in Iceland, which was most
evident in the nation’s struggle for independence. Then the author
deals with changes in the employment pattern, in particular, the
growing importance of the fishing industry and a small beginning of
other industries which resulted in the diminishing importance of farm-
ing. In connection with this fact a detailed account of the national
pattern of employment is made (see diagram). The author comes to
the conclusion that the change in the employment pattern, and thus
the birth of new classes within society, at the end of the 19th century,
had reached a stage when organizations of employers and of workers
respectively could be formed in the more densely populated areas.
In chapter II the author traces the development of the Labour
movement in Western Europe and North America and mentions the
foundation of an Icelandic Labour union in Winnipeg in 1890.
The third chapter deals with the first trade unions in Iceland. The
development of various organizations is traced and we are told of the
attempts, made by the leader of the nation, Jón Sigurðsson, in its
struggle for independence, to encourage people to form societies. The
first societies to be joined by the common people in the 1880s were
the farmers’ Co-operative Societies and the I. O. G. T. These were
followed by the first trade union, The Printers’ Union (i. e. the first
°ne), which was founded on January 2nd 1887 and was active until
1890. Then an account is given of a Shoemakers’ Union, which was
formed in 1888 to meet the competition from the growing importation
of foreign shoe manufactures. Some change occurred around 1894,
which was chiefly due to the growth of the fishing industry. In that
year the owners of fishing vessels formed a society and as a result
teduced the wages of deckhands, who, as an answer, formed The
Fishermens’ Union — „Báran" — on the 14th of November 1894, which
was active in Reykjavík until 1910, and this was the beginning of
flte uninterrupted history of trade unions in Iceland. The leader of