One of the Spanish governments was responsible for the deaths of five workers and hundreds of wounded. The Alavesa employers, for their part, gave rise to this historic general strike. They want us to stop demanding justice and reparation for these facts, but on 3 March and the Goldús associations are doing so in an exemplary manner. The working class, as well as the popular sectors that supported the whole movement, cannot forget it. The 42nd anniversary comes and this commitment should be renewed.

It should not be forgotten that the police, under the command of the Spanish Government – led by Manuel Fraga Iribarne and Martín Villa – and in the service of the capital, tried to avoid the assembly movement, being out of the canons of vertical syndicalism. Nor can we forget that the movement that brought many strikes and mobilizations was made possible by the self-organization that emerged from the assemblies and the delegated committees. The negotiators were chosen at those meetings and the employers could not assume that type of organization. The participation of women and the grass-roots sectors must remain alive, as they were the key to the dissemination, development and continuity of those strikes. It is an important subject for the labor movement today.

After 42 years, the political and social responsibilities of that state crime remain unresolved and the victims have not yet had a fair remedy. But we cannot fall into hostility. We must applaud the associations of 3 March and those of Goldús, who continue in this difficult and tiring task. And the Basque administration must be called upon to give its full support.