Taking the wheel - Inside the 1971 SEAT strike in Barcelona
Durada: 20 min
12/10/2024
SEAT is known as one of the largest companies in Catalonia and one of the biggest car manufacturers in Europe, selling over half a million cars in 2023 alone. The classic SEAT 600 was more than just a car - it was the model that democratized driving in Spain and served as a symbol of a rapidly industrializing country in the mid-20th century. On October 18, 1971, in the final decade of the Franco dictatorship, a pivotal moment in the workers' rights movement occurred when SEAT workers staged a strike at the factory in Barcelona to protest the unjust firing of their colleagues.It soon turned deadly with the killing of worker Antonio Ruiz Villalba, and numerous injuries. Cillian Shields joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to discuss what led up to the strike, and we hear first-hand accounts from Pedro López, who was one of the strike organizers, and Carles Vallejo, one of the dismissed workers. This week's Catalan phrase is "fer historia" which means "to make history."