The 34 workers who work at the Museum of Fine Arts in Bilbao for the company Manpower, subcontracted by the Basque Government, the Provincial Council of Bizkaia and the board of the City Council of Bilbao, have followed this summer 41 days of strike. The working class and the public administrations can draw many lessons from this struggle, not only the educators of the Guggenheim Museum who are on strike in writing these lines, but also the rest of the workers.

First education. We can combat job insecurity and miserable conditions and get a decent and fair wage, even if the collective is small. The Fine Arts received a maximum monthly salary of 882 euros, twelve pay per year. The duration of the strike, the unity, the daily and imaginative mobilizations have managed to increase from EUR 10,400 a year to EUR 20,500, the undefined ultra-activity, the right to subrogation, the possibility of shielding oneself when no agreements are established, the recognition of seniority…

Second education. Precarious conditions were imposed by the administrations. Let them not come now saying that they are concerned about quality employment. The administrations (the Basque Government, Diputación General, City Hall…) initially refused to negotiate and tried to avoid the impact of the strike with minimal services. They wanted to impose their discipline so that the model of the strikers did not become known. But in that effort they have failed.

Third teaching. A strike is never lost. They may not achieve all the objectives, but it will always serve to demonstrate the dignity of workers.