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.

[3] After the creation of the Trade union of the minors of Anzin in 1882, Basly became its secretary, and subsequently its president in 1891.

[6] The members of the workers' group summarized their demands in a manifesto on 12 March 1886:[6] Our intervention will deal with questions already clarified by conscientious studies for which the solution is unanimously recognized by the interested parties as urgent.

We will demand: national and international labor legislation; repeal of the law against the International Workingmen's Association; recognition of the right of the child to full development of his mind and body by regulation of work; social guarantee against unemployment, sickness, accidents and old age; reorganization, on a more equitable basis, of industrial tribunals; independence guaranteed to miners' delegates and the improvement of the seamen's lot; removal of the monopolies which have delivered a large part of the national domain to private enterprises; organization of credit at work and all necessary modifications to the social interest in public works, industry, agriculture, ...[6] Basly was reelected as Deputy for Pas-de-Calais on 22 February 1891, 20 August 1893, 8 May 1898, 27 April 1902, 6 May 1906, 24 April 1910, 26 April 1914, 16 November 1919 and 11 May 1924, holding office until his death on 11 February 1928.

[2] Basly became mayor of Lens in 1900, and devoted the last ten years of his life to rebuilding the city, which had been completely destroyed during First World War.