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Summary

In December 1918, Peruvian workers, led by textile workers in Lima, launched strikes and a general strike to demand an eight-hour workday for all workers and wage increases. The campaign gained support from unions, students, and the Asamblea de Sociedades Unidas, and after a 48-hour general strike in January 1919, the government issued a decree establishing the eight-hour workday nationwide. Wage increases were not universally granted and were left for Congress to decide.

Background

In December 1918, male textile workers at El Inca factory in Lima walked off the job to protest a law that mandated an eight-hour workday for women and children but disrupted production and reduced male workers’ incomes. The workers demanded an eight-hour day for all workers and a 30-50% wage increase to maintain their living standards, but factory owners portrayed these demands as unreasonable, leading to public sympathy for the owners.

What happened

On December 16, 1918, workers sent demands for an eight-hour day and wage increases to factory owners, who rejected them as unreasonable [source: nv-database]. Workers at Vitarte and El Inca factories struck on December 20, followed by other factories in the following days [source: nv-database]. On December 30, the Federacion de Obreros Panaderos struck, and agricultural workers from Huacho showed solidarity [source: nv-database]. The strike committee appealed to the Students Federation, which pledged support, and on January 6, 1919, the committee was renamed Comite Pro-Paro General [source: nv-database]. On January 10, the Asamblea de Sociedades Unidas passed a resolution supporting the strike [source: nv-database]. Police shut down the Student Federation building on January 12, but the committee met in secret and declared a 48-hour general strike starting January 13 [source: nv-database]. On January 13, militants urged workers to strike and picketed Lima’s commercial center, effectively shutting down the city [source: nv-database]. On January 15, Minister Manuel A. [source: nv-database] Vinelli met with the committee and student allies, was convinced to support the eight-hour day, and convinced President Jose Pardo to issue a decree establishing it nationwide [source: nv-database]. The committee then called off the strike [source: nv-database].

Key people & organizations

  • Victor Raul Haya de la Torre
  • Comite Pro-Paro General
  • Students Federation
  • Federacion de Obreros Panaderos Estrella del Peru
  • Asamblea de Sociedades Unidas
  • Manuel A. Vinelli
  • Jose Pardo
  • Felipe Chueca
  • B. Bueno
  • V. Quesada

Tactics used

The campaign used escalating strikes from individual factories to a general strike, combined with coalition-building with students and other unions, to apply pressure on the government and factory owners. The general strike effectively shut down Lima, forcing the government to negotiate and concede to the eight-hour day demand. [source: nv-database]

Outcome

Verdict: partial.

The workers achieved the eight-hour workday for all workers via government decree, but wage increases were not universally granted and were left for Congress to decide, resulting in a partial victory. The campaign’s success was influenced by fears of violence similar to strikes in Argentina, which made President Pardo more responsive to the strikers’ demands. [source: nv-database]

Lessons

  • A general strike can effectively shut down a city and force government negotiation.
  • Building coalitions with students and other unions amplifies pressure and legitimacy.
  • Sensationalist media coverage of similar movements elsewhere can make elites more willing to concede to avoid violence.

Sources

Disclaimer: Included as a teaching example of campaign craft, not as endorsement.

Sources & verification

  • nv-database — grounding: primary — license: link-only
  • Rewritten: 2026-06-25 via worker_casestudies_v2.py

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