Taking the wheel - Inside the 1971 SEAT strike in Barcelona

Filling the Sink

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, got millions of people on the road, 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 Zona Franca factory in Barcelona to protest the unjust firing of their colleagues.

What began as a labor strike escalated into a deadly 12-hour clash with Franco police, resulting in the tragic killing of worker Antonio Ruiz Villalba, and numerous injuries.

Cillian Shields joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to discuss the 1971 SEAT strike - one of the biggest flashpoints of late Francoist Spain, what led up to it, and what the outcome was.

We will also hear first-hand accounts from Pedro López, who was one of the strike organizers, as well as Carles Vallejo, one of the dismissed workers.

This week’s Catalan phrase is “fer historia” which means “to make history.”

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