The Workers of Mundet in Mora, Ponte de Sor, and Vendas Novas: Contributions to the Socioeconomic History of the “Montado"

Abstract

The Seixal Municipal Council, through the Seixal Municipal Ecomuseum has been promoting the preservation of the archives of Mundet & Cª Lda. covering the period the company operated (1905-1988) in Portugal. The Personnel Files of Mundet & Cª Lda., with records of the workers at all Mundet factories, stand out as a valuable resource for understanding the relations of production, the development of the workforce in the cork industry, and the respective circulation and transmission of
knowledge. Based on a historical approach, this paper will present a general perspective on the evolution and characterization of workers at the Mora, Ponte de Sor and Vendas Novas factories. The paper will focus on a regional perspective, thus
contributing to the construction of knowledge about the economic and social history of Portugal.