Plovdiv tobacco workers' strike
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5-day workweek
Re-instatement of previous bonuses
| Plovdiv tobacco workers' strike | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | May 3–4, 1953 | ||
| Location | |||
| Goals | Stable, year-round employment 5-day workweek Re-instatement of previous bonuses | ||
| Methods | Strike, revolt | ||
| Parties | |||
| |||
| Casualties and losses | |||
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The Plovdiv tobacco workers' strike (Bulgarian: Пловдивска стачка на тютюноработниците) was a strike action by workers of the tobacco industry in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, on May 3–4, 1953. Triggered by the harsh working conditions and job insecurity, it resulted in a revolt and was finally suppressed by the authorities with at least 3 deaths.
Plovdiv had been traditionally a center for the tobacco industry since late 19th century.[2] In 1947, the Bulgarian tobacco industry was nationalized[2][3] and the rights of workers to unionize were limited in favor of the official party-affiliated unions.[1] However, on September of the same year another tobacco workers' strike took place in Plovdiv.[4]
At the beginning of April 1953, lists of workers who would stay employed and those who would be unemployed for the next year were published.[5][1] As a result, the tobacco workers decided to organize themselves to demand full-year employment instead of seasonal one, a 5-day working week and the re-instatement of the pre-nationalization bonuses.[5][3] On April 20, the workers sent their demands in writing to Prime Minister Valko Chervenkov, stating that if their demands had not been fulfilled until the beginning of May, they would leave work and protest in front of the secretariat of the State Tobacco Monopoly in Plovdiv. A strike committee, headed by the anarchist Stanyo Valev, was also elected that evening.[5][1]