Spanish Strikes Threaten Carlos

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dawn raids on January 10th. This followed two weeks which have seen an explosion of militant actions by Spanish workers most notable of which was the four-day strike of workers on the Madrid Metro (underground).

This first complete stoppage of the Metro for forty years was supported by the 4000 workforce in its entirety. It was. no stay-athome protest but involved an almost continuous meeting of the majority of the strikers, first of all occupying an underground depot and then in turn three churches, from each of which they were forcibly removed by the police.

The strike produced instant demonstrations of solidarity from other workers in Madrid, in particular from workers of the ITT subsidiary Standard Electric (16,000 on strike), Chrysler (5000 on strike), Kelvinator and Siemens.

Workers from these factories, who have themselves been on strike since December, demonstrated openly in the streets or suffering brutal assaults by the In Madrid, at least 50,000 workers were last week either on strike or locked out; the industrial suburb of Getafe was at an almost complete standstill.

After negotiations in which the Metro company agreed to pay at least part of the underground workers' demand - for what amounts almost to a 50% wage increase, the striking workers agreed to return to work temporarily, but have given notice that they will strike again if the whole demand is not met by January 19.

AMNESTY

The strikes and demonstrations are not confined to Madrid. Throughout the country demonstrations of several thousand have taken place in almost all the major cities demanding immediate complete political amnesty and other political reforms.

In Ovedo, 7000 workers struck at the important steelworks, Ensidesa, and a major shipbuilding firm I in Valencia declared a lockout for a week. In the Cordova, village of Palma-deworkers were violently attacked by police (several of them being wounded) while demonstrating against unemployment and in support of their demand for a minimum wage of 700 pesetas (about f6) a day.

This wave of strikes and demonstrations constitutes head-on challenge to the political authority of the fascist regime. The granting of part of the Madrid Metro workers' claim threatens the rigid wage control law which was strengthened only two months ago; and it forced the Metro company to negotiate with the leaders of a strike which is totally illegal under Spain's constitution.

Though the government kept the Metro in partial operation through the use of specially trained troops, it did not dare to carry out its threat to call up the strikers and court martial those who refused to work (as Franco had done in the previous less general Metro stoppage in 1970). And police baton and tear gas attacks on workers' demonstrations have completely failed to subdue them. Since the end of the Metro strike their size and militancy has grown.

These events have shown both the weakness and confusion of the regime and the courageousness and solidarity of the Spanish working class. The only thing which can stand in the way of the rapid and complete overthrow of Spanish fascism is the treacherous position of the leaders of the Stalinist and reformist organisations.

COMPROMISE

They have shown in numerous statements since the death of Franco, their readiness to compromise with the regime and their complete unwillingness to lead a principled and independent struggle of the working class. For instance, while the Metro workers were on strike, Marcelino Camacho, the leader of the Workers' Commissions which are closely allied to the Communist Party, was giving a press conference in Paris.

*tee to e de sted, to inde peaceful road to freedom...Chan: Wednesday 14th January 1976 K

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