Confederación General del Trabajo (Cuba)

The Confederación General del Trabajo (CGT) (General Confederation of Labour) was a major labor federation in Cuba during the first half of the 20th century. It emerged in the 1920s from various existing labor groups and played a significant role in the Cuban labor movement, advocating for worker rights and participating in political activism. The CGT encompassed a broad range of industries and trades, striving to represent the interests of the Cuban working class against the prevailing social and economic inequalities.

The CGT was involved in numerous strikes and protests, demanding better wages, working conditions, and social security. Its influence fluctuated throughout the period, facing challenges from government repression, internal divisions, and competing labor organizations. It also interacted with and was influenced by international labor movements and ideologies, including anarcho-syndicalism and later, communist and socialist thought.

The federation's significance diminished after the Cuban Revolution in 1959. The revolutionary government restructured the Cuban labor movement, replacing the CGT with the Central de Trabajadores de Cuba (CTC), which became the sole official trade union organization in the country. The CGT's historical legacy is viewed differently by various groups, with some emphasizing its contributions to the fight for worker rights and others criticizing its internal dynamics and eventual displacement by the CTC.