Shipbuilders’ struggle against privatisation and unemployment in the Basque Country (and in the rest of Spanish State)

PSOE has inherited further privatisation measures, which started when they were in government eight years ago and continued under PP. This privatisation of the shipbuilding industry will mean the closure of many of the Izar factories. Among them shipyards in Sestao (Bilbo, Basque Country) where 1,200 workers face unemployment and also other shipyards in the rest of the Spanish state such Gijón, Seville and (San Fernando (Cádiz)

The area of Sestao and the also known Big Bilbo has suffered a huge de-industralization. This is the new city advertised in all British and European papers as tourism destination. The city of the Guggenheim museum and little more else but his surrounding landscapes. This was the industrial heart of the Basque Country and we could say of Spain too. But since the previous PSOE government the big steel works were closed down, remaining just a little factory. The struggle of the Altos Hornos workers was heroic. So was it the one of another shipyard, Euskalduna, right in the centre of the new trendy Bilbo. Everyday the police charged against the barricaded workers cutting the main road of Bilbo’s centre. The yard was knocked down – in its place we can find the Euskalduna hall linked with the Guggenheim museum by a nice boulevard along the former docks. Now the turn is for La Naval.

On the last days, current Spanish president Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero on his visit to Bilbo ensured the future for this and other shipyard. However trade unions and workers believe this was a diverting technique against the dimension of workers resistance. Trade unions and workers proposed a solution where the Basque regional government would take over the factory and remain it public. However, they have also denounced the lack of response by the Basque regional government who has been passive all along this crisis. They also propose a move from military to civil shipbuilding and to be part of the group Izar.

In the last days shipbuilders have been on strike and there have been barricades and riots
with the subsequent police charges. On 14th September 2004, 3,000 people marched in Sestao in support of la naval workers. On 16th September 2004, due to the lack of action by the central and Basque government, they went a bit further by building barricades closing the road and the railway linking Bilbo and Santurtzi. The Basque regional police Ertzaintza charged against the workers with rubber bullets. The workers replied throwing nuts. A worker was hospitalised due to the impact of a rubber bullet on his eye. Sixteen workers had bruises as a consequence too. The unions refused to ask the striking workers to ‘calm down’, therefore we can foresee a long resistance!


The text has been taken from other page. The struggle is even harder n Cadiz and Sevilla, at the south of Spain, with really big fight against the bosses'cops

CLASS WAR