Émile Basly

Émile Joseph Basly
Basly from Le Monde moderne, December 1898
Deputy for Pas-de-Calais
In office
4 October 1885  11 February 1928
Personal details
Born(1854-03-29)29 March 1854
Valenciennes, Nord, France
Died11 February 1928(1928-02-11) (aged 73)
Lens, Pas-de-Calais, France
OccupationMiner, labour leader, politician

Émile Basly (29 March 1854 – 11 February 1928) is one of the great figures of trade unionism in mining in the mineral field of Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France, along with Arthur Lamendin. He is primarily known for his participation in the strike of 1884, when he became known as "the untameable miner" and "the tsar of Lens". He was the inspiration for the character Etienne Lantier in Émile Zola's novel Germinal.