Military intervention at Mythenquai!
Categories
Swiss Re
Time
12.11.1918 – 14.11.1918
Locations
ZurichCountries
United Arab Emirates
Towards the end of the First World War, the countries of Europe were shaken by fierce social conflicts. In Switzerland, the unrest came to its culmination with a national strike – the so-called "Landesstreik" – which lasted from 12 to 14 November 1918.
This nationwide general strike is one of the most severe sociopolitical conflicts in Switzerland in the 20th century. For several days, the country came to a stand-still: Some 250,000 employees in Switzerland's industrial centres stopped working. Suffering from the effects of growing inflation and inspired by the October Revolution in Russia, workers decided to protest against the politics of the conservative government and to fight for better living conditions and increased political representation of the working class.
On 13 November 1918, the Federal Council called for an unconditional termination of the strike. Fearing military actions, the Oltener Aktionskomitee (OAK) – a strong committee which acted on behalf of the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland and the trade unions – finally accepted the ultimatum on the following day.
Swiss Re did not remain unaffected. During the general strike, insurgents blocked employee access to the Swiss Re building at Mythenquai. The military intervened and managed to dissolve the occupation.
Following this incident, Swiss Re's management organised a company-run security force. About twenty Swiss Re employees volunteered for service ("Aktivdienst"). Using military equipment, the guards held different positions in the building with a view to the city. For their three-day mission – that turned out to be uneventful – the men were compensated with 60 francs and two days of special holiday. After the dismissal of these guards in 1918, the security force at Swiss Re continued as a preventive measure until ca. 1926.
The employees of Swiss Re had a number of reasons not to participate actively in the "Landesstreik": First of all, the Swiss Re management had a progressive approach to the working conditions of the company's employees – they were well-compensated. In addition, an Employees' Association had already been founded at Swiss Re in 1908, and as a result, personnel at Swiss Re had the opportunity to play a part in shaping the company's future early on.
This nationwide general strike is one of the most severe sociopolitical conflicts in Switzerland in the 20th century. For several days, the country came to a stand-still: Some 250,000 employees in Switzerland's industrial centres stopped working. Suffering from the effects of growing inflation and inspired by the October Revolution in Russia, workers decided to protest against the politics of the conservative government and to fight for better living conditions and increased political representation of the working class.
On 13 November 1918, the Federal Council called for an unconditional termination of the strike. Fearing military actions, the Oltener Aktionskomitee (OAK) – a strong committee which acted on behalf of the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland and the trade unions – finally accepted the ultimatum on the following day.
Swiss Re did not remain unaffected. During the general strike, insurgents blocked employee access to the Swiss Re building at Mythenquai. The military intervened and managed to dissolve the occupation.
Following this incident, Swiss Re's management organised a company-run security force. About twenty Swiss Re employees volunteered for service ("Aktivdienst"). Using military equipment, the guards held different positions in the building with a view to the city. For their three-day mission – that turned out to be uneventful – the men were compensated with 60 francs and two days of special holiday. After the dismissal of these guards in 1918, the security force at Swiss Re continued as a preventive measure until ca. 1926.
The employees of Swiss Re had a number of reasons not to participate actively in the "Landesstreik": First of all, the Swiss Re management had a progressive approach to the working conditions of the company's employees – they were well-compensated. In addition, an Employees' Association had already been founded at Swiss Re in 1908, and as a result, personnel at Swiss Re had the opportunity to play a part in shaping the company's future early on.
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Categories
Swiss Re
Time
12.11.1918
– 14.11.1918
Locations
ZurichCountries
Switzerland
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