For H&M workers, the story of the success of this struggle is unique and different, precisely because it is theirs and it has touched them to live in their skin. Only in time will they value the merit of what they have achieved, because it has been unique and different. And if they continue to make their way, as they report on their experience, they can become not unrepeatable; that is, they can become the first impulse for many other working women and partners.

During the 50 days of the H&M strike, I have had a lot of things in my head. When we called for an indefinite strike, we did not believe that the conflict would last so long. Day after day, we managed to bring the company together with the strike committee, but we were unable to conclude any agreement. Now that everything is over, it is important to remember all these moments, because if my professional career has taught me something, it is what it has taught me: the harder the road and the greater the effort to reach the destination, the more appreciated is the joy of success.

The sector in which H&M workers work is very precarious, with little social recognition, feminized and full of multinationals. These big companies, in addition, exploit people from their origins, and they have the barrier of dignity underneath.

In addition, these companies are already established in the State. In the previous sectoral trade, H&M workers had already received the lesson of Inditex workers, and they saw how easy it is for companies to take traumatic measures against workers at the state level and to agree with CCOO and UGT. Awareness gave them a strong impulse in self-esteem and served them to map the situation very precisely. And later, that has helped them a lot in the conflict. The story of Inditex and Douglas's delegates opened their eyes and taught them what would happen if they didn't organize; it also gave them arguments to fight and not give up.

After several hours in the pickets, in those mobilizations, take the megaphone and invent imaginative choreographies for each claim ("With online sale, this is what is there", "Look what detail, we get thrown into the street"...), and after 50 days and nights of insomnia, H&M workers can make their story known, tired but smiling. They have made it impossible for the company to take on board and have prevented redundancies and reductions in working time.

The SRE proposed by H&M was not based on economic reasons. The company has not stopped making money and people have not stopped buying clothes, for these reasons the ERE was not considered. On the contrary, the pandemic has become the perfect excuse for carrying out the plan they had long thought of. The goal was to gradually evict the workers from the shops, to turn the company into a digital distribution platform through the increase of online sales, and to slowly send all the workers to the street.

The success of H&M has been special, because the workers have achieved what seemed impossible. The confidence of the workers in the direction of negotiation has been fundamental to keep the conflict alive, and the active and joyful role that the workers themselves have played in the mobilizations: one day they dressed in black to bury jobs and the next day with a majestic white, to ask St. Fermín to help them resolve the conflict… With these actions they have come together more and little by little they have been empowered. Proof of this, at the opening of the first Primark store in Bilbao, they were the same protagonists of Teleberri, who clearly showed the precariousness of the trade. They believed they were able, through the struggle, to deal with all the obstacles, and I do not know whether they were cowardly or carelessly, but now they can proudly say that they have succeeded. Only those who wanted to go here have gone, for “there is no one left here.

I would like to thank all those who have taken us into account, all the customers who have decided not to buy in those stores until the conflict is resolved, cheer girls when we passed the day through Gran Vía! the people who shouted at us and, of course, all the workers who have been in the conflict longer (Tubacex, Novaltia...). Without forgetting the work done by the technical team of the ELA EVE and the Zerbitzuak federation, the patience of colleagues from other countries and the support and support of the regional and infrastructure commission. This conflict has given me pride, emotion and emotion, because I believe that we are making progress in the recognition of feminized sectors. The Administration does not show this, but fortunately ALS does, and every time jobs are destroyed and there is a desire to organize, we draw all the strength and energy, and we take advantage of the resistance box, if there is a fundamental tool, without which we would not be fighting for the working conditions of the workers.

I am very proud to share these moments with these workers, who have given me a lesson in struggle, solidarity and dignity. At the end of the conflict, we delivered numerous trophies (best photographer, best picker, best mascot, best animator, women wrestlers, best attitude, best player of paper, perseverants, best megaphone speaker…), and I can say that everyone received some trophy, because in this conflict the soul and heart have been fought.

The work done by the delegates has also been remarkable, as the tasks were distributed at the time of the fight and everything became easier. One participated in the negotiating table, the other responded to the media without any fear, others engaged in psychology by participating in daily pickets, car caravans, etc...

Through our fight for H&M, we have laid the first stone on the pretext of digitalisation so that there is no further job destruction and continue to make way, but I ask you that our story is not something that begins and ends today, and that those of us who read this bear in mind that we have to continue to support and support the trade workers, because there are very hard times for them. We are working in the union to organise and support workers in this sector, and this agreement will certainly be a milestone for all.

* Marige Fernández is the head of ELA Trade in Bizkaia