The Franco dictatorship is once more trying to set an example' for the Spanish working class through brutal repression, this time directed against working class militants who have spent the last three-and-a-half year in prison awaiting trial.
Twenty three militants were arrested in March 1972 in the northern port of El Ferrol, after a strike of 3,000 shipyard workers over wages. The strike was brutally crushed by the Spanish police, who opened fire on a crowd of workers, killing two and wounding several more. They then proceeded to round up the ringleaders' When their trial finally opened in Madrid last week, 8,000 workers from the El Ferrol shipyards struck in sympathy. They only returned to work under threat of mass sackings, proclaiming that they would continue to demonstrate their solidarity through a 'go-slow'. So far a total of 20,000 workers in the area have taken part in solidaritv strikes The police evidence was so flimsy that all charges were dropped against five of those originally arres ted - who have therefore spent the last three years in jail for nothing! Among those remaining is Rafael Pillado, a shop steward from the ship yards, for whom the prosecution is demanding a 10 year jail sentence on charges of 'terrorism'. Pillado is reported to have told the judge: "My only crime is to have devoted myself as a trade union official to my fellow workers. If that is terrorism, I shall be a terrorist all my life.
Another of the defendants is a 50-year-old mother of seven. A fish vendor, she is accused of having encouraged other stall holders in the El Ferrol market to shut up shop in solidarity with the strikers.
Meanwhile the regime continues to lash out in futile attempts to preserve its brutal order'. In an effort to break a strike of junior doctors which has been going on in Covern. international workers movement. Rui Dominguez works on the Portu guese newspaper Republica, which has recently been the focus of a major political storm. On Sunday he arrived in Britain to speak at a series of solidarity meetings. Next week's issue of Red Weekly will feature an interview with Dominguez on the true story of the Republica affair Photo: CHRIS DAVIES (Renort)