Solidarity with the workers of Hutchinson Mapa in Madrid was the theme of a meeting in London last Thursday attended by nearly a hundred people. The meeting was organised by the North London Committee Against Repression in Spain.
Hutchinson Mapa is part of a giant Franco-German multinational, controlled by the French petro-chemical monopoly which markets "Total' petrol. In addition to its Spanish operations, Hutchinson Mapa has factories throughout Europe and in Morocco and South Africa.
The dispute in Madrid began with the sacking of leading militants in the factory as they pressed demands for unitary contracts of employment in the chemical industry. The workers struck against the dismissals. Management responded with the progressive sacking of strikers until 220 had been dismissed. which meets daily in the church.
The Hutchinson workers are not the only ones in struggle at the moment. They have united with strikers from other factories in Madrid in a democratic Workers Assembly, while in Barcelona workers at Motor Iberica, a Massey Ferguson subsidiary. have been on strike since 28 April.
Motor Iberica As at Hutchinson, the Motor Iberica struggle is against victimisation, as well as for 4,000 peseta just over £30) across-the-board monthly pay rise. These workers, too, have had to face victimisation management and repression by the police. Their response has also been the organisation of solidarity action, both in Spain and internationally, and the democratic control of the strike by daily mass meetings.
The struggles at Hutchinson and Motor Iberica are only a taste of what is to come as greater numbers of workers move into open conflict with facelifted Francoist regime. And from the Hutchinson strike we can draw lessons for our own tasks in Britain: that international solidarity action in the multinationals -strikes, blackings, financial support-is both necessary and effective. The Hutchinson workers could not have won without the support of their French and Italian comrades. Far wider sections of the Spanish working class will soon be needing the same solidarity.
Telegrams of support and donations to the Motor Iberica strikers can be sent to: Rafael del Rosa, Avenida J. Antonion 651, Barcelona. peace al any price demonstrations in beast. On the march in London last weekend, demanding political status for Republican Prisoners. Photo: ANDREW WIARD (Report)