Workers' Assembly Halls of the World, Unite!

 Workers' Union Halls are not something we tend to think about much. Denmark is different. Its Arbejdernes Forsamlingsbygning is an imposing 5-story Copenhagen building with a union history going back to 1879, a current focus on sharing that rich history of labor organizing and struggle  with the Danish people (Arbejdermuseet “Workers' Museum”), and a commitment to a future when this and other Union Halls around the world are recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The Worker's Museum in Copenhagen. 


   How many meetings, debates, and cultural events for the working class were held here over the years in its ornate and extraordinary 2nd floor labor “sanctuary,” still maintained today with much of the original interior, hanging red union flags and hand carved depictions of workers at their work. And it is still hosting labor-related events!


The Banquest Hall

   

   A formative struggle for the Danish labor movement occurred in 1899. On May 24, fearful of the growing power of the workers and their unions, employers in the construction industry locked out 3,000 workers. They essentially fired the workers and closed down operations, seeking to force the workers to kowtow to their demands. Other employers followed, pushing 40,000 workers (2/3 of the entire union movement) onto the streets. It lasted for 100 days and became known as the “hunger war” – workers had no money and starvation was terrible. But workers showed incredible courage, won the support of the population, and turned the tables on the employers. The resulting “September Agreement” was formative and continues to be the basis of labor relations and even Denmark’s social democracy.




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