STRIKE OF TOBACCO WORKERS IN PRILEPS MONOPOLY (1938)
During export of goods in Old Yugoslavia, tobacco was also included and the state had full monopoly in tobacco production, purchasing and export of the tobacco. Although tobacco producers created large profits for the state, the state didn’t take any care for their work, social and health conditions. Tobacco producers were quite exploited with low purchasing prices and they organized themselves to fight against that policy. During purchasing season tobacco producers didn’t have any rights for arbitration about prices. They fought against this state monopoly policy of prices and they demanded their rights. In order to conduct succesful fight, they formed in 1936 tobacco association with aim to protect the interests of tobacco producers, especially during the purchasing period. During their fight for higher purchasing prices, they organized themselves and boycotted the delivery of tobacco to the Monopoly, shortly before WWII. They’ve managed to chose their representatives that will protect their interests during purchasing. Besides, the salaries of the workers in the Monopoly were always lowest in comparison with the salaries of other workers in the town. Therefore with a decision of syndical leadership on 4th April 1938, workers in the Monopoly declared strike. Striking committee leaded by the master Borko Velev – Levata (later commandant of the partisan squad “Dimitar Vlahov”) have unveiled following demands before the Management of the Monopoly: increase of the daily wages for 20%, abolishing of the practice for penalties and improvement of the working conditions.
State monopoly policy as an tool and expression of the grand Serbian regime and burgeous policy has invented various method to crush and repress the resistance of Monopoly workers and tobacco producers and to continue with their exploitation.
In the midst of the demonstrations special bravery was shown from the female workers, who encouraged their comrades and shamed the ones who hesitated. On the third day of the strike the steering committee for help gave 100 dinars to each poor worker – striker. The moral increased among the strikers and they saw that they are not alone; their help came from the solidarity of other working organizations of URSSJ syndicates as well as from other citizens (traders, craftsmen, tobacco workers) who gave them moral and material support.
In the attempts of the police to suppress the demonstrations, clashes happenned through the town in which were injured three workers and one gendarme, and 50 workers were imprisoned. The strike lasted 7 days, and the management of the Monopoly, seeing that their damages would increase with the continuation of the demonstration, accepted the demands of the striking committee and therefore the strike ended and the workers returned back to work. After the strike syndical branch received many young members. All main members of the branch were members of the Communist party of Yugoslavia, because after few months in the Monopoly was formed organization of the League of Communist Youth of Yugoslavia.
