Belgium 1890

Synopsis

On 20-23 May 1890 an international congress of coal miners convened in Jolimont, Belgium. This congress led to the founding of the International Federation of Miners (IFM), one of the first international trade secretariats. Among the key issues debated at Jolimont were the eight-hour workday; the international strike; and calls for the coordinated international restructuring of output to stabilize prices, wages, and employment (the so-called Lewy Plan). Initially the British unions dominated the organization, but their hegemony weakened once the United Mine Workers of America joined in 1904 and the German unions began to consolidate.

Timeline

• 1870: Franco-Prussian War begins. German troops sweep over France, Napoleon III is dethroned, and France's Second Empire gives way to the Third Republic.
• 1876: Four-stroke cycle gas engine is introduced.
• 1880: South Africa's Boers declare an independent republic, precipitating the short First Anglo-Boer War.
• 1883: Foundation of the League of...