1865 Barcelona Workers' Congress

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The 1865 Barcelona Workers’ Congress was held in Barcelona’s Salón Universal from December 24 to 26, 1865 (some sources say September). It brought together about 300 delegates from 22 Catalan workers’ societies and is considered the first workers’ congress held in Spain, though it was limited to Catalonia.

Context and background
During the late reign of Queen Isabel II, workers’ groups faced bans, but in 1864 the Captain General of Catalonia, Domingo Dulce y Garay, allowed their activities again. Two important Catalan worker papers, El Obrero and La Asociación, appeared during this freer period. El Obrero, which began in September 1864, promoted the rights of workers, the freedom to organize, and the creation of worker cooperatives.

The congress and its aims
The idea for a Barcelona congress came from El Obrero. The gathering aimed to coordinate the existing workers’ societies and promote cooperative production and consumption. The agenda, proposed by El Obrero, asked:
1) Can worker associations restore the freedom of action for the proletariat, and how should they act to improve workers’ conditions?
2) What are the benefits and chances of success for cooperative societies?
3) Should a federation be formed to help unions operate more effectively?

Key outcomes
- The conference led to the creation of a federation of workers’ societies and local workers’ centers where more than one society existed; El Obrero would be its official voice.
- It also produced a call to the government for freedom of association, published in El Obrero on January 7, 1866, signed by several leaders.
- A goal of the federation was to spread cooperative practices.
- The organizers asked the government to recognize the workers’ right to organize, arguing for the dignity and rights of the producing class.

Note
Politics were not discussed at the congress, and no talks about the state were allowed during the gathering.