The 83rd Anniversary of the 1943 Shoe Industry Strike

By the 1940s, São João da Madeira had established itself as one of Portugal’s leading centres of the footwear industry. Thousands of men and women worked in this growing sector, but they faced low wages, long working hours, and appalling working conditions. The inflation caused by the Second World War (1939–1945) drastically reduced families’ purchasing power, making it increasingly difficult to afford essential goods.

Against this backdrop, groups of workers organised to present a set of wage demands to the factory owners. Although some companies showed a willingness to negotiate, most refused to grant wage increases that would offset workers’ loss of income. The failure to reach an agreement led to a work stoppage on the morning of 5 August 1943, one of the most significant events in the social and industrial history of São João da Madeira and one of the most important labour movements to take place in Portugal during the Estado Novo dictatorship.

Throughout the afternoon, the strike evolved into a large popular demonstration, joined by workers from neighbouring communities, including Cucujães, São Roque, Nogueira do Cravo, Milheirós de Poiares, Arrifana, and Escapães.

The demonstration brought together thousands of people in the town centre, becoming a powerful public expression of widespread social discontent. The National Republican Guard (Guarda Nacional Republicana – GNR) intervened to disperse the demonstrators, using violent repression and arresting several workers, who were subsequently handed over to the Political Surveillance and State Defence Police (Polícia de Vigilância e Defesa do Estado – PVDE).

Although the strike did not achieve immediate results, it left a profound mark on the history of the Portuguese labour movement. It demonstrated the organisational strength of footwear industry workers and became a symbol of resistance against political repression and of the struggle for better working and living conditions.

The 1943 Shoe Industry Strike has become one of the most significant episodes in the collective memory of São João da Madeira. It remains a landmark in understanding the evolution of labour relations, the development of Portugal’s footwear industry, and resistance to the Estado Novo dictatorship.