Hot Autumn
Encyclopedia
The Hot Autumn of 1969–1970 was a massive series of strikes in the factories and industrial centers of Northern Italy
, during which workers demanded better pay and better conditions. Between 1969-1970 there were over 440 million hours of strikes alone. The decrease in flow of labour migration
from the South had resulted in nearly full employment
levels in the North, meaning that the previously under-paid and unhappy workforce started to flex its muscles.
Due to increased literacy levels and student discontent, students started agitating for reform and increased class consciousness. Workers joined in on this, and began to demand better pay. Many of them were being laid off because of increased efficiencies in factories. Higher class consciousness was not achieved, but more basic demands such as a 40 hour work week, and increased pay were.
The reasons for discontent varied - while the usual pay and conditions were a factor, it's fair to say that tensions were increased by the fact that much of the workforce had migrated from the much poorer south. They were generally unhappy at the society that had forced them to leave their homes in search of work and wanted to get back at the employers that had exploited the low average wages for so many years.
The phrase "hot autumn" has since been applied in the Italian
press
to describe other autumns with significant amounts of strikes. In the later years, such season strikes have more often been directed against the government's budget.
Similar periods in other countries around the same time:
Italy 60s-70s collection at the Libertarian Communist Library
Northern Italy
Northern Italy is a wide cultural, historical and geographical definition, without any administrative usage, used to indicate the northern part of the Italian state, also referred as Settentrione or Alta Italia...
, during which workers demanded better pay and better conditions. Between 1969-1970 there were over 440 million hours of strikes alone. The decrease in flow of labour migration
Human migration
Human migration is physical movement by humans from one area to another, sometimes over long distances or in large groups. Historically this movement was nomadic, often causing significant conflict with the indigenous population and their displacement or cultural assimilation. Only a few nomadic...
from the South had resulted in nearly full employment
Full employment
In macroeconomics, full employment is a condition of the national economy, where all or nearly all persons willing and able to work at the prevailing wages and working conditions are able to do so....
levels in the North, meaning that the previously under-paid and unhappy workforce started to flex its muscles.
Due to increased literacy levels and student discontent, students started agitating for reform and increased class consciousness. Workers joined in on this, and began to demand better pay. Many of them were being laid off because of increased efficiencies in factories. Higher class consciousness was not achieved, but more basic demands such as a 40 hour work week, and increased pay were.
The reasons for discontent varied - while the usual pay and conditions were a factor, it's fair to say that tensions were increased by the fact that much of the workforce had migrated from the much poorer south. They were generally unhappy at the society that had forced them to leave their homes in search of work and wanted to get back at the employers that had exploited the low average wages for so many years.
The phrase "hot autumn" has since been applied in the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
press
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
to describe other autumns with significant amounts of strikes. In the later years, such season strikes have more often been directed against the government's budget.
See also
- WorkerismWorkerismWorkerism is a name given to different trends in left-wing political discourse, especially anarchism and Marxism. In one sense, it describes a political position concerning the political importance and centrality of the working class. Because this was of particular significance in the Italian...
- AutonomismAutonomismAutonomism refers to a set of left-wing political and social movements and theories close to the socialist movement. As an identifiable theoretical system it first emerged in Italy in the 1960s from workerist communism...
- Lotta ContinuaLotta ContinuaLotta Continua was a far left extra-parliamentary organization in Italy. It was founded in autumn 1969 by a split in the student-worker movement of Turin, which had started militant activity at the universities and factories such as Fiat...
- Potere OperaioPotere OperaioPotere Operaio was a radical left-wing Italian political group, active between 1968 and 1973. Among the group's leaders were Antonio Negri, Franco Piperno, Oreste Scalzone and Valerio Morucci, who led its clandestine...
Similar periods in other countries around the same time:
- Long Hot Summer of 1967Long Hot Summer of 1967The "long hot summer" refers to the summer of 1967, which began a year in which 159 race riots erupted across the United States.In June in there were riots in Atlanta, Boston, and Cincinnati, as well as the Buffalo riot in , and a riot in Tampa, Florida.In July there were riots in Birmingham,...
- Winter of DiscontentWinter of DiscontentThe "Winter of Discontent" is an expression, popularised by the British media, referring to the winter of 1978–79 in the United Kingdom, during which there were widespread strikes by local authority trade unions demanding larger pay rises for their members, because the Labour government of...
- May 1968 in France
External Links
Italy Hot Autumn Photo GalleryItaly 60s-70s collection at the Libertarian Communist Library