Spain: Supermarket strike in Barcelona to enter second month

The dispute began with the sacking of three members of the anarcho-syndicalist union the CNT working at the centre, the culmination of a campaign of threats by the company against workers unionising at the centre. Even before a strike was declared the company brought in scab workers, attempting to preempt the actions of their own employees. Immediately, the workforce went on strike, initially for 10 days, and has since developed into an indefinite strike.

The demands of the strikers are as follows:
# The reinstatement of the sacked workers
# Payment for the obligatory 30 minute breaks
# Compliance with health and safety regulations
# An end to harassment of workers
# Recognition of the CNT and its delegates
# Guarantees of job security

There have been daily pickets outside the centre itself, as well as pickets of many Mercadona's 960 branches and other logistics centres such as the one in Valencia by other members of the CNT attempting to spread the strike, and several demonstrations in the centre of Barcelona to raise public awareness of the strike. Several times the pickets have been violently attacked by the police and Mercadona's private security.

The CNT is appealing for urgent financial help for the strikers, many of whom do not have Spanish nationality and as such are in an increasingly vulnerable situation, and due to the high cost of living in Barcelona need at least 50,000 Euros a month to maintain the strike. Bank details for sending donations are:

Spain: 2100 (La Caixa) - 1183 - 35 - 0100505773
Europe: IBAN: ES08 2100 1183 3501 0050 5773
Rest of the world: BIC (Swift): CAIXESBBXXX 2100 1183 3501 0050 5773

For more information on the strike see http://www.cnt.es/mercacoso/, http://barcelona.cnt.es/ (both in Spanish) and this thread in the libcom.org forums, which has the contributions of CNT members.