The Slovak Christian trade union movement in social dialogue and confrontation

Slovenské kresťanské odborové hnutie v sociálnom dialógu a konfrontácii
Abstract: 

The following study deals with the activities of Christian Social Workers' organizations and Christian trade union movements operating in Slovakia in the first half of the 20th century. The Social Democratic Party of Hungary had gained a dominant position in the trade union movement in Hungary. Discrepancies between the Slovak Social Democrats and Catholic priests were weakened by their common interest in improving the social status of the Slovaks. The Social Democrats also became the strongest political group in the First Czechoslovak Republic. After losing their dominant political position, they retained a leading position in the trade union movement. Various Christian trade union organizations operated in Slovakia. The Slovak Christian Social Trade Union Association of Workers' gradually gained the most important position among them. It was under the influence of the Slovak People's Party. The study offers a picture of the cooperation and conflicts of the Slovak Christian Social Trade Union Association of Workers' with others trade union organizations. The author also turns his attention to the social and political struggles of this trade union movement within the Slovak People's Party. After the breakup of the Czechoslovak Republic, the Christian trade unions were the only legally operating Slovak trade union organizations, but they still had to end their activity in the period of the Slovak Republic.