On This Day in Working Class History

On this day, 3 October 2019, a series of protests led by Indigenous peoples began in Ecuador in protest at an austerity package backed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) known as Decree 883. The bill, aimed at reducing public spending, included pay cuts and increases in fuel costs of at least 30%. The movement began with a strike of transport workers on 3 October. After unions called off the stoppage, Indigenous peoples then took the lead in organising disruptive street protests. After a two-week period, protesters with improvised shields and wooden sticks blocked roads and seriously disrupted the economy, closing businesses and drastically reducing oil production. Eight Indigenous protesters were killed over the course of the events, over 1,000 people were injured and over 1,000 arrested before the government caved in and scrapped the bill. Indigenous activists vowed to continue to struggle for better treatment.
More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/10251/ecuador-indigenous-protests
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On this day, 2 October 1915, the mostly women workers at the weaving mill in Morozov, Russia walked out for a pay rise to compensate for the increasing cost of living. The strike spread to tens of thousands of other workers in nearby towns, who stayed out until 7 October when they received a 20% raise. 
More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9226/morozov-mill-women-workers-strike

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See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/today
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On 1 October 2012 health workers in Estonia began a strike for better pay and conditions. In particular, they were demanding a 23% pay increase for caretakers, 17.5% for nurses, and 11% for doctors. They also demanded reduced workloads, and pay for interns.
At first, workers in Tallin and Tartu walked out from outpatient care centres, while doctors initiated a go-slow. On October 8 the strike expanded to include inpatient facilities, and affected cities like Parnu, Viljamdi, Narva, and Kuressaare.
On October 26 the strike ended when the government agreed to the workers' demands.
More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/7715/estonia-health-workers-strike

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See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/today
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On this day, 30 September 1919, compositors and pressmen working at The Daily Sketch newspaper in London refused to print the paper until an editorial criticising an ongoing railway strike was deleted. That same day, another newspaper had its publication delayed by its workers demanding that a government advert appealing to the public to resist the strike be thrown out. However they were persuaded by union leaders to withdraw their demand. Newspaper packers and delivery drivers also tried to delay and sabotage their distribution. Two days later, bosses at the far-right Daily Mail tabloid threatened to close the publication down rather than give in to a complaint from their print workers about their coverage of the railway strike. 
More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/10347/london-print-workers-black-anti-strike-editorial

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On this day, 29 September 1909, the revolutionary Industrial Workers of the World union began the first of what became known as the free speech fights, in Missoula, Montana. Members would publicly speak on the streets of the town in open defiance of a law banning public speaking. When one speaker was arrested another took their place, including well known organisers Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, who was pregnant at the time, and Frank Little. As a result, the local jail was filled with no end to the stream of workers coming in to speak. By 8 October the council declared the IWW could speak wherever they liked and dropped all charges against members who had been arrested for speaking. This campaign would be the first of many similar free speech fights throughout the United States. Learn more about the IWW and the free speech fights in our podcast: https://workingclasshistory.com/2018/05/23/wch-e6-the-industrial-workers-of-the-world-in-the-us-1905-1918/

Our work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.
See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/today
Browse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/date
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If you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History