From “political man” to “class man”

The early labor activists were motivated to participate in the movement mainly by their political consciousness. However, the political learning process of militant activism left its imprint on these activists, shaping their class consciousness. Thus, these early activists with their emerging class consciousness, along with the activists who entered in the later period and were more concerned about economic needs, jointly transformed the whole movement leadership from "political man" to "class man." This shift from political to class consciousness shows the linkage between activists and the ideological transformation of the movement in a changing political environment. Many of the union leaders who joined the labor movement during the authoritarian transition period were motivated by their concern for political democracy. Most union leaders interviewed agree that the demands of the labor movement should take into account the political goal of democratization.