#viladecans

'Complejo Crescent de Viladecans', housing complex Viladecans, Baix Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain; 1969-73

MBM - Oriol Bohigas Guardiola, Josep Maria Martorell, David Mackay

see map

Barcelona, 1976. An assembly of the workers of the Roca factory, massively voting in favour of going on strike. The strike lasted for 95 days, which came right after another strike that had lasted for 41 days. During this time, more than 4,000 workers peacefully took the streets of Viladecans and Gavà every single day.

In March 1977, the Guardia Civil (Spanish military police) charged against a demonstration, shooting rubber balls and toxic gas at the workers, their wives and children. The Spanish government also forbid the Roca workers from having more meetings. One of the workers, Antonio Plata, was arrested, which led to protests in front of the Guardia Civil’s local headquarters, giving the police another excuse to violently charge against the protesters. Antonio was released, but he had been tortured during his arrest, and had to be immediately hospitalized. Other factories from Catalonia went on strike in solidarity with the Roca workers.

After more arrests (and more tortures) but also more protests, the factory owners accepted to negociate with the worker’s union, gave them some of their demands and admitted the workers who had striked back to their jobs.

Este es el resultado de la reforma de cuarto de baño que Grupo Inventia llevó a cabo en la localidad de Viladecans.