TSOTM Mar 2024: The Mine Is Ours

This month's design celebrates a workers' uprising in Labin, Croatia, by a multinational group of around 2,000 miners, which began on 3 March 1921. The miners were a mixture of Croatians, Hungarians, Slovaks, Poles, Czechs, Italians, Germans and Slovenians. On March 1, Italian fascists attacked and badly beat Giovanni Pipano, a miners' union leader. When his colleagues found out they were furious and called a meeting for March 3 during which they decided to go on strike and occupy their mine, declaring: “Kova je naša” ("the mine is ours"). Peasants came to support them and the rebels organised armed detachments of Red Guards to maintain order. On March 7, the workers declared a Republic and started making decisions through mass assemblies, with every nationality represented. They came up with a list of demands to present to their employer, Societa Arsia, including a demand of a pay increase. When the bosses refused, on March 21 the workers restarted production under their own control. Eventually, on April 8, around 1000 troops and police officers attacked the mine, and while the miners put up a spirited defence, with their lack of arms and training they were eventually forced to surrender. Two miners, Massimiliano Ortar and Adalbert Sykora, were killed and dozens arrested. 52 workers were later put on trial for charges including establishment of a soviet regime, possession of explosives and more. But because the miners refused to testify against one another, and because of their support from the local population, none were convicted.

Both the topic of this month's design and the artist were recommendations from a WCH reader. We are very happy that Vedran Štimac, a Zagreb based illustrator and street artist, was instantly interested in the project and that he created this superb illustration in his truly unique style.