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Confederation of National Labor (Trade Union, Spain)

Confederación Nacional del Trabajo, CNT-AIT, CNT-FAI

CNT-AIT
Confederación Nacional del Trabajo – Asociación Internacional de los Trabajadores

[Confederación Nacional del Trabajo – Asociación Internacional de los Trabajadores (CNT-AIT) (Spain)]

image by Eugene Ipavec, 15 Jan 2005

CNT-FAI
Confederación Nacional del Trabajo – Federación Anarquista Ibérica

[Confederación Nacional del Trabajo – Federación Anarquista Ibérica (CNT-FAI) (Spain)]

image by Marcus Wendel

Introduction
Description
Emblem
Military Colours of the CNT During Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)

See also:

Confederación General del Trabajo (CGT) (Spain)
Trade Unions (Spain)
Political Parties and Movements (Spain)
Political Parties 1931-1939 (Spain)
Anarchist Flags
Spain

Introduction

The anarchist and syndicalist CNT is still a functioning labor union in Spain; it is also the only union in Spain to have barging power but refuse government funds.

John Kalwai, 10 Jun 2004

Description

This [red and black] flag was used by the CNT-AIT, an anarcho-syndicalist union that fought against General Franco in the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939.

Jamal Hannah, 05 Oct 1995

CNT has a branch in France, Confédération Nationale des Travailleurs, which uses the same flag as the Spanish CNT.

Ivan Sache, 23 Jan 2002

Last weekend, I was in Mataró town, Maresme county, Barcelona province, Catalonia, and saw the CNT/AIT flag: the generic anarchosyndicalist pattern with white letters "CNT" on the top hoist and "AIT" on the lower fly (reverse unreadable). It was explained to me that the letterless flag is a general worldwide anarchosyndicalist banner and any letterings identify a particular organization.

António Martins-Tuválkin, 14 Mar 2005

Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT) was established in 1910 in Barcelona as a counter balance of socialist trade union UGT. Its stronghold was Cataluña, and the union had 30,000 members. In 1927, under the rule of Primo de Rivera, anarchistic affinity groups merged, establishing the Federación Anarquista Ibérica (FAI) in order to avoid moderate tendencies within the CNT. CNT was in the beginning a supporter of the second Spanish Republic, but was faced with governmental repression very soon. During insurrections in the early 1930s, the government overpowered demonstrations brutally. Numerous demonstrators were killed in the Casas Viejas massacre. During the next years the CNT expanded to Aragon and Andalucía. After right-wing parties had won the elections of 1934, the CNT lead an insurrection, which was overpowered. 30,000 activists had been imprisoned. Most left wing supporters thought the CNT was responsible for their defeat in the 1934 elections, because their members boycotted the elections. In 1936 left-wing parties won the elections, promising a general amnesty for imprisoned activists. CNT supported the people’s-front government. At the beginning of the civil war the CNT gained de-facto control of Cataluña. There, as well as in other parts of the country, the CNT consequently tried to abolish private property (collectivization) due to communist theory.

During the civil war there were about 2 million members. Under Franco’s rule the CNT was banned in 1930 [sic] and its property was confiscated. After Franco’s death it was re-established but without regaining its former importance. Today the Confederación General del Trabajo (CGT), which seceded from CNT, is the most important anarchist group. The CNT is a member of Asociación Internacional de los Trabajadores (AIT). The trade union's flag (ratio approx. 5:8) is divided per bend into red and black. In the upper hoist (CNT) and lower fly (AIT) are inscriptions in white capitals.

Klaus-Michael Schneider, 23 Jun 2009

Emblem

image by John Kalwai, 10 Jun 2004

This the symbol of the anarchist and syndicalist CNT union of Spain. The CNT is still a functioning labor union in Spain; it is also the only union in Spain to have barging power but refuse government funds.

John Kalwai, 10 Jun 2004

Military Colours of the CNT During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)

CNT-FAI

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 23 Jun 2009

A flag of a CNT-FAI unit is squarish, divided per bend into black and red. In the upper hoist is the white inscription CNT and in the lower fly the black inscription FAI.

Klaus-Michael Schneider, 23 Jun 2009

CNT-AIT

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 23 Jun 2009

Detail:

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 23 Jun 2009

A flag of a CNT-AIT unit is squarish, divided per bend into red and black. In the upper hoist is the white logo of the CNT, showing a naked man wrestling a lion, the whole surrounded by branches of laurel and topped by initials. In the lower fly is the white diagonal inscription AIT. The flag has a countercharged bordure separated by a white tressure from the inner parts.

Both flags had been flown by anarchist units ending the siege of Porto Cristo (Mallorca) on 16 August 1936. I observed these flags in the Military Museum of Palma de Mallorca in San Carlos castle on 26 May 2009.

Klaus-Michael Schneider, 23 Jun 2009