workingclasshistory:

On this day, 29 June 1916, women gun workers at the Dion munitions factory in France during World War I downed tools in protest at an increase in workload along with a cut in the piece rate pay. Around 4000 women were employed at the plant, working 10 ½ and 11 hour shifts. All 110 women in the gun shop took part in the strike. Initially their foreman was dismissive, telling them “The Dion factory never yields to a strike as a matter of principle… It has never yielded to men and it is even less likely to yield to women”. Despite the company firing some of the workers, they kept up their strike for 11 days until a government arbitration panel – desperate to avoid disruption to arms production – ruled partially in favour of the workers. Although workloads were increased, the pay cuts were stopped and bosses agreed to rehire the sacked women. The following year, there were to be many more strikes of women munitions workers in the country.
Pictured: French munitions workers, 1916
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