Penn Sardin (Sardine Workers' Strike) - Fair Wear - Unisex Organic T-Shirt - FREE DELIVERY

This design embraces the centenary of one of the most significant events in European women’s labour history, i.e. the great sardine workers’ strike in Douarnenez on the Finistère coast of Brittany in November 1924. ‘Penn Sardin’ literally means “Sardine Head”, a name given to the local women sardine cannery workers.

Douarnenez became the first sardine port in France. The whole town lived on sardines. In 1924, canneries abounded, twenty-two, plus a can factory, 2,000 workers, 5,000 fishermen. Under the impetus of Nantes capitalism, stemming in part from the slave trade, a new class of industrialists settled in Douarnenez. Two worlds faced each other. The difficult living conditions of the Penn Sardins worsened. Canning factory workers were the least paid in France.

Despite a law passed in 1919, women workers worked 10 hours a day, had no bonus for overtime and worked nights, which was supposedly illegal. In the winter of 1924, 2,100 people, including 600 women, demonstrated against their wage of 80 cents an hour and the fact that they had to go to the factory at any time day or night, when a shipment of sardines was delivered.

The Douarnenez sardine workers' strike in November 1924 to demand a wage increase was the beginning of a mobilization that lasted several months in the region. The strikers, mostly women, marched with the slogan "Pemp real a vo!" (Five reals it will be!). Joséphine Pencalet, who belonged to the Douarnenez metalworkers' union, took part in the strike. Her name in Breton, Penn kalet, meant "hothead" or "stubborn".

The gendarmes repressed the strikers and called in strikebreakers, and the mayor, Daniel Le Flanchec, who had publicly supported the revolt, was suspended from office. The Minister of Labor proposed mediation but the struggle continued. The workers were joined by sailors and occupied the streets, the town was blocked, and the conflict was covered by the media.

On December 5, 1924, the newspaper L'Humanité reported on the charge against the demonstrators, carried out on behalf of the Ministry of the Interior, in an article entitled "Le sang ouvrier a coulé à Douarnenez" ("Workers' blood has flowed in Douarnenez"). The minutes of Le Flanchec's suspension from office were also published. The report of the suspension of Daniel Le Flanchec for rebellion provoked national media coverage of the strike in the daily newspapers, including Paris Soir and La Dépêche de l'Aube, which was moved by "the provocative intransigence of the sardine cannery owners".

On January 6, 1925, the factory owners gave in to the workers' demands.

This design was created by Berlin based Brazilian tattoo artist Caetano Calomino.

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Made from 100% organic ring-spun cotton, this unisex t-shirt is a total must-have. It's high-quality, super comfy, and best of all—eco-friendly.

• 100% organic ring-spun cotton
• Fabric weight: 5.3 oz./yd.² (180 g/m²)
• Single jersey
• Medium fit
• Set-in sleeves
• 1 × 1 rib at collar
• Wide double-needle topstitch on the sleeves and bottom hems
• Self-fabric neck tape (inside, back of the neck)
• The fabric of this product holds certifications for its organic cotton content under GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) and OCS (Organic Content Standard)
• The fabric of this product is OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified and PETA-Approved Vegan
• Blank product sourced from Bangladesh

The sizes correspond to a smaller size in the US market, so US customers should order a size up.

This product is made especially for you as soon as you place an order, which is why it takes us a bit longer to deliver it to you. Making products on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction, so thank you for making thoughtful purchasing decisions!

Size guide