Act of recognition of trade unionists repressed by Franco’s regime

The Historic Building of the University of Barcelona will be the setting for a tribute that aims to highlight the struggle of the trade unions against the dictatorship. 

 The UB will celebrate the third edition of the Diada de la Memòria on 23 January, at 5.00 p.m. in the Paranymph of the Historic Building, coinciding with the anniversary of Franco’s occupation of the city and the University in January 1939. This year, the event will focus on the crucial role of the trade union movement in the fight against Franco’s regime and will pay tribute to five leading figures from this group. 

The event, chaired by journalist Neus Bonet, will include institutional interventions by the rector, Joan Guàrdia, and a representative of the Catalan government, and will also include a speech by the historian and professor Andreu Mayayo, who will highlight the importance of trade unions as “the DNA of the welfare state”. 

 This event is part of an initiative the University started two years ago, with the aim of keeping alive the memory of the victims of Franco’s regime. In the first edition, in 2023, homage was paid to students and staff who suffered reprisals, while in the second, in 2024, the occupation of Barcelona by Franco’s troops was remembered. 

The people honoured in this year’s edition are the following: 

• José Luis López Bulla (Santa Fe, Granada, 1943): A prominent leader of the Workers’ Commissions, he was secretary general of the National Workers’ Commission of Catalonia for almost two decades; he was also a member of the Parliament and author of works on trade unionism. 

• Camilo Rueda Castillo (Castillo de Locubín, Jaén, 1948): A militant of UGT and PSC, he was wounded during the dictatorship while distributing trade union propaganda; he led social and political struggles from the UGT and the Santa Coloma de Gramenet Town Council. 

• Manuel Zaguirre Cano (Bacares, Almeria, 1947): Leader of the Unió Sindical Obrera, he led the union at state level for 25 years and was vice-president of the World Confederation of Labour, and was awarded the Gold Medal for Merit at Work. 

• Maruja Ruiz Martos (Guadix, Granada, 1936): Of anarcho-syndicalist affiliation (CNT), was a leader of the neighbourhood movement in Nou Barris and an active militant in the PSUC, she stood out in the struggle for social rights, especially in the labour conflicts at Motor Ibérica and in urban improvements for Barcelona’s peripheral neighbourhoods. 

• Josep Riera i Porta (Mataró, 1941): A key figure in the Unió de Pagesos, he led the union for more than two decades and was actively involved in democratic movements during the transition. 

At the end of the ceremony, the rector and the general secretary, Marina Solé, will give the respective commemorative plaques to the repressed trade unionists. The event also includes a musical performance by La Pau, and the screening of an audiovisual report prepared by the UB Audiovisual Service. This event is aimed at the university community and the general public, with special emphasis on the participation of the trade union community.