Description
Joan Peiró i Belis
Book Summary
This work offers a detailed portrait of Joan Peiró i Belis, a key figure in Catalan anarcho-syndicalism. The reader will discover his best-known facet as a leader of the CNT, but also his significant and often forgotten work as a promoter of workers' cooperatives through Cristalleries de Mataró. A journey through the life of a glassmaker who combined union struggle with cooperative action as tools for social transformation.
What is it about?
The book chronicles the life of Joan Peiró i Belis (Hostafrancs, 1887 - Paterna, 1942), from his beginnings as a glass worker to his role as secretary-general of the CNT in the years 1922, 1928, and 1929. The work delves into his less publicized facet: the management of Cristalleries de Mataró, a production cooperative founded at the end of the Primo de Rivera dictatorship. Through this experience, Peiró defended cooperativism as a revolutionary tool complementary to union action. It analyzes how Cristalleries de Mataró, heir to a dual cooperative tradition (that of the glassmaking trade and that of the city of Mataró), became the most powerful glass cooperative in Catalonia during the Second Republic and the longest-lasting one in operation.
Main themes
- Biography of Joan Peiró i Belis and his militancy in the CNT.
- History of the labor movement and anarcho-syndicalism in Catalonia.
- Production cooperativism as an economic and social model.
- The evolution of the glass industry in Catalonia during the 20th century.
- The relationship between unionism and cooperativism in the labor struggle.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at readers interested in the social and political history of Catalonia, especially the labor movement, anarchism, and cooperativism. It will also be of great value to those who study biographies of relevant figures of Spanish unionism and to those who seek to understand alternative economic organization models from a historical perspective.
What this book provides
- In-depth knowledge of a multifaceted figure of anarcho-syndicalism, beyond his union role.
- A documented vision of production cooperativism as a practical revolutionary strategy.
- Historical context on the glass industry and the cooperative movement in Mataró and Catalonia.
- Reference material to understand the synergies between unionism and cooperativism in the first half of the 20th century.
Technical specifications
- Author: GARAU ROLANDI, MIGUEL
- Publisher: COSSET·NIA
- Language: cat
- Subject: BIOGRAPHY: GENERAL, BIOGRAPHY: BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY
- Collection: COOPERATIVISTES CATA
- Binding: Paperback
- Date of publication: June 2011
- Number of pages: 88
- Weight: 218 g
Editorial review
This is a concise yet rigorous work that achieves a double objective: to present the biography of a historic leader of the CNT and, at the same time, shed light on a cooperative experience of great relevance. The book is especially valuable for the public interested in the history of the labor movement, as it connects anarcho-syndicalist theory with a practical and successful application such as Cristalleries de Mataró. Its approach, which balances personal trajectory with the analysis of a production model, makes it a useful read for both specialists and fans of Catalan social history.