Les travailleurs du port de Londres au 19e siècle

par Tri Tran

Thèse de doctorat en Études anglophones

Sous la direction de Alain Jumeau.

Soutenue en 1995

à Paris 4 .

mots clés

• Ports -- Aspect social -- Grande-Bretagne -- Londres (GB) -- 19e siècle
• Travailleurs -- Grande-Bretagne -- Londres (GB) -- 19e siècle

Résumé

Au dix-neuvieme siecle, le port de Londres etait le premier port du monde. Il employait une multitude de travailleurs, qui assuraient des taches variees, comme le dechargement, le chargement, et le transport des marchandises, la construction de navires, l'entretien et la surveillance des installations portuaires. Au cours du dix-neuvieme siecle, la condition de tous ces ouvriers se degrada : les salaires diminuerent, et les conditions de travail devinrent de plus en plus difficiles. En 1889, les dockers se mirent en greve, suivis par la plupart des autres familles de travailleurs. Ils reclamerent des hausses de salaire, pour ameliorer leurs conditions de vie dans les quartiers surpeuples, insalubres, et dangereux de l'est Londonien. Les dockers obtinrent gain de cause, mais ce succes hypothequa l'avenir du port, qui perdit beaucoup de son activite commerciale par la suite.

Titre traduit

The workers of the port of London in the nineteenth century

Résumé

In the nineteenth century, London harbour was the first port in the world. The numerous trades that were established there, employed many workers, who performed a great variety of tasks, such as the handling of goods and cargoes, the building of ships, the maintenance and the policing of the port. During the nineteenth century, the condition of all these labourers declined : their wages were decreased, and the working conditions became worse. In 1889, the dockers went on strike, and were followed by the workers of most of the other trades. They demanded an increase of their wages, in order to improve their living conditions. Indeed, most of then lived in the densely populated districts of the east end of London, which were often unhealthy and dangerous. The dockers obtained their wage increase, but this victory had some negative consequences on the future of the port, which lost much of its trade and commerce, and declined rapidly in the twentieth century.