Spanish National Confederation of Labour (CNT)
스페인 전국노동총연맹(CNT)
Spanish anarcho-syndicalist trade-union confederation founded in Barcelona in 1910. It emphasized worker self-organization, direct action, and federalism. During the Spanish Civil War it participated in resistance on the Republican side and in collectivization. Government participation by some activists provoked controversy within the movement. It is distinct from the Communist Party of Spain and the UGT union federation.
In depth
The CNT treated union organization both as a means of improving working conditions and as a basis for social transformation. Member participation and federated autonomy offered a different political route from seeking power through a parliamentary party. Anarchist ideas, union institutions, and individual activists’ decisions should nevertheless be distinguished.
War and revolution in 1936 placed these principles under new pressures. Participation in resistance and collectivization coexisted with disputes over cooperation with the government. Federica Montseny’s acceptance of a cabinet post exposed that tension. Government participation was not accepted by all anarchists, as her disagreement with Emma Goldman demonstrates.
In this volume the CNT also appears in the lives of cultural figures and activists who supported the Republic. Its country and full name are specified to avoid confusion with organizations elsewhere that use similar names or initials.