Last weekend the new Spanish Government headed by Adolpho Suarez announced its support for a limited amnesty for political prisoners. In some quarters this has been hailed as evidence of a new The 400 equal pay strikers at Trico Folberth car componenis actory in west condon decided recently to send a delegation to see the Kent miners. They came back with £200 and the promise of a levy on every member to guarantee weekly funds.
This magnificent response was echoed by King Street [Birmingham] Shop Stewards, sent £200; Magnatex Joint Shop Stewards, who sent £125; and many more large donations which show the support that this two-month-old struggle is beginning to evoke in the working class.
And every penny is needed. The police are doing everything they can to help free hand to what the strike bulletin calls Enco's Mercenaries 1o crasn ine picket lines.
Although Trico's wipers are blacked at demand for nurseries- • some of the women are having to pay £9-10 a week for child minders.
To rub in just how 'equal' women are, the social security is refusing to pay up for their dependants — although male strikers get SS for theirs.
The Trico strike is a test case in the battle for equal pay. Militants must do everything they can to rally support for the women by arranging collections, sending donations from union funds [to Trico Strike Fund, AUEW House, 1 Woodlands Road, Southhall, Middlesex], and making sure blacking of Trico products is not only adopted in une car plants our made enrec tive. strations and strikes rocked the dictatorship back on its heels:
SAN SEBASTIAN: 5 July - 50,000 on the streets demonstrate against the attacks MADRID: 8 July - during one of two demonstrations a child of four is blinded by a police smoke bomb.
9 July — demonstrators outside prison gates protest against the arrest of two women from Democratic Association of Women. The slogan reads, 'Women Unite in Struggle for Amnesty". Balloons with "Amnesty' on them released by women in the prison.
12 July — the city is saturated by police in an attempt to stop banned demonstranons. One or some ou, marcners 1s broken up by police using water cannons, full riot equipment and helicopters.
BILBAO: 8 July - some 200,000 people take part in the biggest demonstration in Spain since the Civil War. Chants of Listen Suarez, the Basque country is rising' fill the air. Next day the new Government gives its reply — a 44-year old woman is machine gunned to death by police during a demonstration in the suburb of Santurce calling Tor amnesty BARCELONA: There is a massive police presence during the week of action. Thousands still manage to take part in demonstrations. A running battle with the police develops on one occasion and Molotov cocktails are hurled.
GIJON: 8 July — 100,000 people assemble in the capital of the Asturias in a demonstration led by the province's metal workers. The slogan is Amnesty, Liberty ane rice race unions EIBAR: 9 July - demonstration attracts J00 people, in adaion to the call for amnesty there are also demands for freedom of return for exiles PAMPLONA: 10 July — in the evening the new Trotskyist youth organisation Iraultza Taldeak' holds its first public demonstration, against the Santurce killing The initial contingent of 300 people quickly swells to more than 5.000 VIZCAYA: 13 July - - 50,000 on strike protesting against the killing in Santurce The inevitable demonstration echoes with chants of 'You Fascists Are The Terrorists"
Other big demonstrations included 5,000 in MALAGA, 5,000 in SANTANDER, 3,000 in LERIDA, Canary Islands: 20,000 in LAS PALMAS, The industrial struggle also continues to hot up. Postal workers have been on strike for trade union rights, so that by 9 July more than 7 million letters were unposted. The Government gave in the same day and conceded the workers' right to negotiate collectively. The workers threaten renewed action if all the demands are not met.
Registered with the Post Office as a newspaner Py Meanwhile, the struggle by the Barcelona workers in the Massey Ferguson subsidiary of Motor Iberica is now into its third month. Only recently several hundred wives and children of the strikers were forcibly evicted from a local church by a squad of remain as determined as ever Another multinational which is strikeholina is the Hutchinson chemical work. in Madrid. The struggle here now in its second month, is for the readmission of sacked workers, trade union rights, and amnesty. International solidarity is being organised in France, where Hutchinson workers have organised a boycott and ar overtime ban; similar actions are taking Dace In flar At a mass assembly in Madrid, one 200 armed riot police. But the workers • Hutchinson striker speaks not only for his fellow workers but also for the hundreds of nousanes or soans workers wio nay commemorated the anniversary Spanish Civil War with a massive displav of unity and solidarity: "I have always been an internationalist, but during this struggle we have realised that international solidarity is not a luxury. It is vital."
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SPAIN'S enlightened spirit in Spanish ruling class circles. That is very far from being the truth. On the contrary, this concession followed directly on from a week of action in which a series of demon-