Pernik Strike of 1906

the first mass strike by Bulgarian miners, organized by the Bulgarian Workers’ Social Democratic Party (Narrow Socialists), or BWSDP(NS), in the Pernik coal basin. The strike lasted from June 18 through July 24. Influenced by the Russian Revolution of 1905–07, it was a protest against onerous working conditions. About 1,000 persons out of the 1,500 employed in the Pernik mines took part in the strike. The strikers demanded the recognition of the miners’ right to form a union, the introduction of an eight-hour workday, an increase in wages, and the improvement of working conditions.

The strike leadership included D. Blagoev, G. Dimitrov, G. Kirkov, and other leaders of the BWSDP(NS). The workers of Sofia, Pleven, Burgas, and other cities expressed their solidarity with the Pernik miners. The government sent police and troops against the strikers. The Pernik strike ended with a partial victory for the workers: wages were raised, and soon after the strike a miners’ union was established.