Various unions and organisations joined the protest in Xixón against the bakery workers’ conviction
~ Guillermo Martínez, La Marea ~
Following the court’s refusal to suspend their sentences, the streets of Xixón (Asturias, Spain) once again chanted, “the Suiza 6 will not go to prison”. The protest on Sunday (29 June) drew around 8,000 people, according to the organisers, and demonstrated their rejection of the prison sentences imposed on the union members. Various unions and organisations joined the protest, demanding a pardon from the central government. “Trade unionism is not a crime”, they repeated in their hoarse voices.
The demonstration started on Paseo de Begoña at noon and ended in front of the courthouse in the Asturian city, which once again vibrated with the activists’ passage. Erica Conrado, the general secretary of the CNT (National Union of Workers’ Unions), the union to which four of the convicted women belong, criticised the court’s refusal to allow the union members to divide their sentences, a measure that would have prevented them from going to prison.
The conflict began in 2017. The CNT in Xixón began mobilising in front of the La Suiza bakery, as its owner owed money to one of his workers. The union’s pressure materialised in demonstrations in front of the shop and an attempt to mediate with the owner of the establishment after he also filed a complaint. The process ended with a conviction by Judge Lino Rubio, known for his landmark rulings against union members. They were sentenced to two years in prison for ‘serious coercion’ and another for ‘obstruction of justice’, which translates to a year and a half in prison.
Against the court ruling, Xixón has once again taken to the streets to strengthen this armed barricade of mutual support, which has continued to grow over time. “The prison order could come at any moment. Our comrades live in a state of constant uncertainty”, Conrado told La Marea before the start of the demonstration. The sun was beginning to set over the city streets. “Irreparable damage has been caused after eight years of legal proceedings that have persecuted six people solely for defending the rights of the working class”, she added.
Throughout the march, which lasted a couple of hours, chants such as “worker fired, boss hanged,” “comrades, you are not alone”, and “the strength of the worker: solidarity” were heard constantly. Several of the convicted individuals also participated in the demonstration. One of them welcomed the announcement by the Socialist government of Asturias that this Monday it will join the petition for a pardon already formalised by 22 union organisations.
“It’s a precious opportunity for the PSOE to position itself in favour of the working class it claims to defend”, the convicted woman stated. However, the sentence they suffer goes beyond themselves: “Three of us have two young children. We think a lot about how our children will cope with their parents potentially being in prison”.
Keeping the pulse on the streets
Just a few meters away was Belén Álvarez, a friend of two of the convicted women. “It’s important to take to the streets because this sets a very dangerous precedent for the union struggle. We have no choice but to oppose it head-on”, she stated, while banners of support held by activists from around the state continued to parade around her. Álvarez added that “we must maintain the momentum in the streets.” “Those of us who are convicted are taking everything that’s happening to our friends badly, but demonstrations like this give us a lot of strength to continue”, she continued.
Buses chartered by the CNT made it possible for hundreds of activists and citizens to arrive in Xixón early this morning from provinces such as Barcelona, Zaragoza, Segovia, León, Madrid, Bilbao, Burgos, and Vitoria. This was the case with Fernando Sanfrutos, who, although not affiliated with the Confederation, did not hesitate to join them for the protest from Valladolid.
Carrying the Palestinian flag on his shoulder, this protester stated: “A brutal injustice is being committed here against six people who have only defended their union rights, and for that they are going to prison”. Regarding the pardon, Sanfrutos commented that “it should be granted immediately because these people should never go to jail”. In his view, the judge would not act this way “if it were a union more subservient than the CNT”.
Doubts about the pardon
While some passers-by filmed the demonstration with their cell phones, a woman leaning out of her balcony looked down at the stream of people with a slight smile and nods of agreement. A few meters below her, thousands of people chanted against the bosses and in favour of class solidarity, something evident in the number of unions, also the majority, that supported the mobilisation. Likewise, the general secretary of Podemos, Ione Belarra, supported the march and expressed her solidarity with those convicted.
Vicente Fernández and Lucía Fernández have decided to travel to Xixón from Ourense on their own: “It’s time to be here. The streets are essential for the condemned women to see that they are not alone and to raise awareness of the grave injustice that is taking place”, said the former. Although they have expressed doubts about whether the government will grant a pardon, both have commented: “Perhaps it’s something that would even be good for them as a party, given the current political situation”. According to them, neither of them is active in any political organisation, and they admit that this “case of repression”, as they have described it, is not widely known in Galicia.
Exploitative businessman and complicit court
A few minutes after 2:00 p.m., the protest arrived in front of the Xixón courthouse, where a banner was lowered from a nearby bridge. There, the organisers read a statement. They referred to the union unity evident today: “We are forced to do this by a retrograde alliance of police, judicial, business, and media powers that seeks to undermine the basic rights of the working class”.
They also shared with those present: “The criminalisation and sentencing of these colleagues demonstrates that our rights as workers are so weak that the collusion of ultra-conservative powers can deactivate them.”
As they explained, the Supreme Court’s ratification of the ruling has highlighted how “the oligarchic alliance formed by the judiciary, business, and other powers wants to make the demand for union negotiations a crime of obstruction of justice. And that calling for rallies can be a crime of coercion”.
On the other hand, they emphasised regarding the pardon that “when trade unionism is imprisoned with perverse sentences, all legal responses are legitimate”. The mobilisation concluded with a unanimous cry from the thousands of people gathered in Xixón: “Comrades, you are not alone”! At least, in this way, the uncertainty that has plagued those sentenced for eight years becomes less painful.
Machine translation. CC BY-SA 3.0