Ασημάκης Παλαιολόγος
Department of History and Archaeology, School of Philosophy, University of Ioannina, 2024
Type: Dissertations

Abstract

The subject of the present PhD thesis is the industry and the industrial labour movement in Patras within the 20th century, mainly focused on the period of Metapolitefsis. Specifically, it examines the transformations experienced by the industry and the labour movement of Patras within the wider environment of the Metapolitefsis. In particular, the study attempts to outline the changes that took place in Patras’ industry during this period, as well as the interaction of the industrial working class and its activity with the stimuli-dense Metapolitefsis environment. In order to meet the aforementioned goals, it attempts to recompose the general political, social and economic environment of Metapolitefsis. We focus on this period because it is characterized by broad political and social activation related to demands and expectations for democratization of the society. This collective activation triggered a drastic change of perceptions in society and politics, and formed an environment that decisively affected the labour movement of Greek industry as a whole, while the study gives emphasis on reconstructing its activity and characteristics. At a local level, in Patras, the study of the industry, the industrial workers and their activity, along with their parallel inclusion in the wider context of the given historical conditions of the Greek social formation, begins in a systematic way from the Interwar period. The Interwar period constitutes the temporal starting point for this research triptych, because it shaped basic features of both Patras’ industry and its labour force. These features were further shaped during the post-war years and bequeathed to the Metapolitefsis. The thesis attempts to follow, as much as possible, a more holistic approach during the 20th century, by using a large amount of archival and other primary sources (published sources, press, internet and oral history). More specifically, it attempts to map the morphology of local industry, but also to recompose the changes that took place in the industry of Patras and its working class, as well as to record the multiple levels of industry and industrial workers’ footprint in the city. Moreover, it investigates thoroughly a series of aspects related to the city’s industrial working class, such as the formation process, the particularities and the transformations of its collective organization, among others. Also, the research aims to record and analyse the characteristics of working class assertive activity, as well as the social support in it, trying to detect the channels between the factory mobilizations and the local society. In addition, the thesis researches the influence of the union factions in the trade unions of the manufacturing sector, but also the relationship of the industrial sector unions with the Labour Center of Patras. All the above issues are monitored in a more thorough way during the Metapolitefsis era, mainly oriented on how the industrial working class was affected both by the wider Metapolitefsis environment and the local trade union and social environment of Patras. The core of the study overall is the factory working class and the large-scale factories due to the leading position of large industry in the manufacturing sector of Patras.

 

Jury

Leda Papastefanaki, Professor, University of Ioannina (Supervisor)

Anna Mahera, Ass. Professor, University of Ioannina

Stavros Goutsos, Ass. Professor, University of Patras

Sepapheim Sepheriades, Professor, Panteion University

Dimitra Lampropoulou, Ass. Professor, Athens University

Nikolaos Anastasopoulos, Ass. Professor, University of Ioannina

Lampros Flitouris, Ass. Professor, University of Ioannina