Latest / The History of Belgium: A Small Country with a Giant Colonial Legacy — Fexingo History
The 1928 Matadi Strike: Congo's Port Workers Challenge Belgium
In 1928, amid rising global economic pressures and the Belgian Congo's booming export economy, the port workers of Matadi walked off the job. It was one of the first large-scale, organized labor actions in the colony, predating the more famous 1944 Luluabourg mutiny and the évolués' political awakening. Led by a former Force Publique sergeant named Paul Mwamba, the strikers demanded better wages, an end to the hated chicotte, and recognition of their rights. Governor-General Alfred Moeller and the colonial administration responded with a mix of concession and repression: wage…
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