The Bricklayers’ Strike of 1895 in Montevideo: Work and Trade Union Organisation in the Building Trades

Abstract

The article analyses the 1895 bricklayers’ strike in Montevideo, which demanded a reduction in the working day, reflecting the harsh working conditions of the time. Montevideo was experiencing rapid urban and economic growth, with a diverse working class facing long hours, low wages, and lack of social protection. Workers, organised in “resistance societies,” sought to improve their conditions through collective action. The Society of Bricklayers led a strike that exemplifies these struggles. The article examines the working methods, industrial relations, and organisational strategies of workers in the building trades, highlighting the limited historiographical attention paid to their history in the nineteenth century. It draws on a thorough review of the press and various sources to shed light on this period.