JANUARY 2019 was the month that the Cuban people celebrated not only the 60th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution but also the 80th anniversary of the CTC (Central de Trabajadores de Cuba/Cuban Workers Central) – Cuba’s equivalent to the TUC.

The Cuban trade union movement has a long and proud history stretching back into the 19th century.  The first union, the Association of Tobacco Workers in Havana, was established in 1866 when the island was under the control of Spanish imperialism. In the 20th century the trade unions played a critical role not only in defending workers’ rights but in struggling against dictatorships and repression.

One of the most dramatic actions by the Cuban working class was the general strike of 1933 against the dictatorship of Gerardo Machado, described as the “tropical Mussolini” by the Communist student leader Juan Antonio Mella. Machado, with the backing of the United States, had stayed in office after bending the rules to extend his term.