Ludovico Daragona

Born May 23, 1876, in Cernusco sul Navilio; died June 17. 1961, in Milan. Figure in the Italian workers’ movement, a right socialist.

In 1892. D’Aragona joined the Italian Socialist Party. At the beginning of the 20th century he was one of the organizers of the Italian trade unions and strike struggle. He was secretary of the palaces of labor in the cities of Brescia, Pavia, Genoa, and Sampierdarena and secretary-inspector of the Genera) Confederation of Labor. From 1918 to 1925 he was general secretary of the General Confederation of Labor. During the revolutionary upsurge of 1919–20 he carried out a policy of compromise. After the establishment of the fascist dictatorship (1922) he advocated the self-dissolution of the General Confederation of Labor (which was carried out in January 1927). From 1946 to 1951 he was a member of the government (minister of labor, transport, and postal service and communications). In 1946 he was elected to the Constituent Assembly, and he was a senator from 1948 to 1953. He actively contributed to the split in the Italian Socialist Party (1947) and was one of the leaders of the so-called Socialist Party of the Italian Workers. In 1953 he retired from political activity.