The Trade Union Movement in the Island of Madeira through the CGTP-IN Archives

Abstract

The documental and museum assets of the Portuguese working class and trade union movement, including the assets from Portugal’s Autonomous Region of Madeira (ARM), are generally little-known. It is for the owners of those assets to play a more dynamic role in their treatment and disclosure, while, at the same time, alerting for the urgency of state authorities developing a more assertive action, in order to identify, know and protect those assets.
This is the context of the text we present, since its aim is contributing to popularize the documents under the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers – National Interunions (CGTP-IN) custody, particularly those that may be the base for the study of the trade union movement in the ARM and its relationship with this union confederation. Research focused on the archive of the CGTP-IN Coordination and Organisation departments and on the Manuel Lopes Collection. We did not target the assets under ARM custody.
The management of this asset is carried out by CGTP-IN’s Archive and Documentation Centre (ADC), reason why we conclude our text with an historical and organic background of this service.

Keywords

CGTP-IN; Archive and Documentation Centre; Trade Union Movement in Madeira; United Trade Union Movement; Documental and Museum Assets; CAMSI; USAM.