For the past seven weeks, 3,500 workers of Motor ance fund'.
Can you explain how the engineering workers' strike broke out in Barcelona? The workers went into struggle over the oroblem or me orovincia acreement for small and middle-sized firms, which don't have their own agreements like the big factories. They were demanding a minimum salary of 26,000 pesetas [about £50 a week]. Out of 330,000 engineering workers in the area, 180,000 took part.
Did the big factories take part? The most militant factories in the regior didn't take part for two reasons: first because of the wave of repression and sackings of last year, but above all be cause the CUD ['United Democratic Candidates' - shop stewards in the offic ial Government-run 'unions', elected on unlu recent me duestion was ea Spanish Communist Party], who are the dominant influence in these firms did nothing to extend the movement.
wherever we nao mintants Inere were assemblies with the election of delegates, out in tne rest or the big factories there was a total boycott. The only big factory to go into struggle was Why did Motor Iberica continue after the engineering strike was called On 4 May, Motor Iberica decided to continue the strike alone. We have three factories in Barcelona very united with each other. The struggle has gone on to obtain the rehiring of all those sacked in recent years, and a unifrom rise of 4,000 pesetas for all. During the Strike a workers nave seen sacked and ine strike goes on because the management won't cancel these sackings.
Morale is fantastic. For example, the wives and kids are involved in our assem Motor Iberica is part of a multinational - Massey Ferguson. This is www we navedecidea.o seno a deleca tion trom the motor Derica workers commission to rrance to contact ine unions in the Massey Ferguson factories