"Mutes or change promoting agents?" The activities of the Anglo-American unionism in Spain, 1971-1977

Abstract

This article aims to examine the attitude of the US trade union confederation, AFL-CIO, and the British Trade Unions (TUC) towards their Spanish counterparts, both the “Vertical” and the anti-Franco ones. The chronological frame goes from the late 60’s to the legalization of the trade unions in 1977. The text aspires to evaluate to what extend the Spanish unions received training, influences or incentives from the Anglo- American forces that contributed to the later transition from a dictatorial union model to a democratic one. UGT receives special attention. An organization whose evolution from lawlessness, and weakness inside Spain, in comparison with CC.OO. to the subsequent leadership was closely related to external factors. We will strive to explain the ins and outs of such relationship by contrasting unpublished documents of American and British archives with Spanish sources.