The French Revolution (1789-1815) was an event of profound importance for European and world history. That revolution came to adapt the ways of thinking of the Middle Ages, to the nascent modern era.
The change “monumental” It was not only political and cultural, but economic.
There the world witnessed the consolidation of capitalism.
In addition to bringing us the great gift of the principles of the “Equality, Fraternity and Solidarity”.
The machines and the industrial revolution were the thrust locomotive in the modes of production, the extinction of fiefdoms, the innovative forms of production in which everything changed, brought a definitive cultural leap.
Logically, the direct consequence of the death of the archaic subsistence economy of the feudal era, placed the human being in the irremediable situation of being forced to “sell” their labor to survive, that is, there was born what was called “surplus value” which is the relationship of added value to products due to their manufacturing and labor.
Seen from another perspective, the use of the capitalist to multiply profits at the cost of a fixed salary to a worker who produces for values that are many times exponential with respect to what he receives as salary. And of course the circular idea that the “man is the wolf of man”. In Latin, homo homini lupus).
Sure, without fiefdoms, millions were deprived of their livelihood: agricultural activities.
Thus, began a silent and irrepressible exodus from the countryside to the squares and villages that began to take shape and become cities.
Cities have been synonymous with the expansion of capitalism and the cradle of a new economy, that of services, intangibles.
Brokerage and trade “exploded” exponentially accelerating the nascent capitalist process.
Thus, the steam engine and the era of mechanization gave birth to a new social class that did not exist until then: WORKERS.
Capitalism, which is nothing more than a system that seeks to multiply and maximize profits through a productive, commercial service or financial process and that has individualism as its pillar and its dynamics rests on the symbolic representation of the “worth” through the currency.
The rise of capitalism sharpened social inequality. Their ferocity and ruthless competition created a breeding ground whereby work was in fact of semi-slavery, legalized and socially accepted. In its embryonic stage and its primary deployment, capitalism buried the idea of social mobility by putting a trap on workers, condemning them to irreversible poverty.
But it was the nascent capitalism itself that put everything in its place. On the one hand, it put a limit to the voracity of the capitalists and bosses. And on the other hand, it gave rights to workers, promoting laws to avoid monopoly concentration and the cartelization of the economy.
But there was an event that set the workers on fire. May 1st is celebrated all over the world. “International Workers Day”in commemoration of the bloody repression suffered by the workers of the McCormick factory (United States) in 1886. There death struck the weakest, some 200 thousand decided a strike that ended in a bloodbath that shocked the world and marked the collective memory of generations of workers.
But let’s see what happened in Argentina. The first labor regulation that is registered in Argentina is Law 4661 sanctioned in 1905 – whose authorship corresponds to Joaquín V. González – from which the Sunday rest was established. Hipólito Irigoyen limited by law the working day to 8 hours. But it was Peronism that gave the most important achievements to Argentine workers, recognizing work as a right, fair distribution, training, decent working and living conditions, health, well-being, social security, family protection, economic improvement and the defense of professional interests. Today is workers’ day and everyone’s day, because work is in everything and in all societies and dignity is amplified by work and societies and nations flourish due to their labor force. Perhaps a tribute to the workers on this day is insufficient as a term to give them the fair recognition of their social role.
Graduate in Communication Sciences (UBA). Consultant and journalist.
Source: Ambito
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
