syndicalism

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a revolutionary labor doctrine advocating workers' control of the economy through trade unions and direct action such as a general strike

   French syndicalism treated the general strike as a means of transferring power to organized workers.

2. 2
   noun

   a system in which industries are owned and managed by federations of workers

   In the proposed model of syndicalism, each industry would be governed by its workers.

Borrowed from French syndicalisme, from syndical, 'of a trade union,' and -isme. The family is based on syndicat, 'trade union,' ultimately related to Greek syndikos, 'advocate or representative.' The doctrine emerged in the French labor movement around the turn of the twentieth century.

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