YO TRABAJE EN LA SEAT

SUBSCRIBE:    / @barcelonamemory   BECOME A MEMBER:    / @barcelonamemory   WEB: http://barcelonamemory.com/ INSTAGRAM:   / barcelonamemory   FACEBOOK:   / barcelonamemory   CONTACT: [email protected] TIP FOR DONATIONS: https://es.tipeee.com/barcelona-memory José Sanz is our protagonist. He was born in Barcelona in 1947 to an immigrant family in the La Sagrera neighborhood on Calle Marina, near the Sagrada Familia. He was three years old when SEAT (Spanish Society of Tourist Automobiles) was founded (1950), a project that would shape his entire career and prove pivotal in his life. While SEAT was taking its first steps in the automotive world with the launch of the 1400 (November 13, 1953), José was studying at the Ramon Llull School on Diagonal. He later enrolled in the Escuela del Trabajo (Work School) at 187 Urgell Street, with the firm intention of becoming a mechanic and adjuster. He also studied technical engineering when that specialty was created. 1965 was an important year for José: he met his girlfriend and joined SEAT as an inspector. He studied in the afternoons and worked in the mornings. His first salary was 3,800 pesetas. He left home at five in the morning to catch the metro at Marina station. On Diputación Street, behind Las Arenas, a bus picked up workers to take them to the factory. Work was carried out from Monday to Saturday, with two shifts that rotated monthly. The company provided a mid-day snack, which could be tuna, sardines, or chorizo, depending on the day. There were several dining room modules: for employees and for managers. They were built of aluminum. They even won an award from the Reynolds Metal Corporation. The usual menu consisted of two dishes, bread, and water. They could serve up to 3,000 meals. The process of joining the factory involved a six-month probationary period to qualify for a permanent contract. In 1961, the payment system changed from a weekly salary to a monthly salary divided into two parts: the salary was paid on the 30th of each month and the production bonus on the 15th of the following month. In 1962, employee profit sharing from spare parts sales was eliminated. SEAT was generous with its employees. At Christmas, it gave them lottery tickets and toys that had to be collected in Montjuich on Three Kings' Day. In 1965, SEAT began exporting the 66D model to Colombia... in exchange for coffee for Spain. SEAT provided workers with work clothes: blue overalls with an identification badge. Managers wore black safari jackets and distinctive markings that distinguished them until the Director of Quality had the blue overalls replaced with red-brown ones so they wouldn't be camouflaged among the workers (1967). In the Zona Franca (Free Trade Zone), SEAT built a neighborhood for its workers, with a school, a grocery store, a church, and a sports area. In 1955, the keys to 458 homes were handed over. In 1966, the Head of State visited the factory. It was his third visit. The first was on June 3, 1952, to inspect the construction, and the second on October 5, 1955, to officially inaugurate the facilities. The best part of the visit was the extra pay he received despite the fact that the workers were under a general order and cleaning order. That year, José was promoted to second-class officer. He could now check out the cars. In 1967, the first major strike broke out in protest of the deteriorating working conditions. It began on the 850 bodywork line where José worked. SEAT went from being the model company of the Franco regime to becoming an example of workers' struggle. The SEAT 124 was presented at the 1968 Motor Show. It had many versions. But the most memorable vehicle, without a doubt, was the 600. Some 800,000 units were sold. It was an icon of developmentalism. Two exclusive four-door variants were made: the 600, which was called the 800 (1964), and the 850. SIATA vans manufactured by Industrias Costa were derived from the 600. In 1967, coffee machines made their debut at the factory. The price of coffee was four pesetas. Coca-Cola and tobacco machines soon followed. In 1969, José earned his degree in Technical Engineering. Fortunately, he was able to continue working because he was spared military service as the son of a widow. That year, he bought his first secondhand Seat 600. In 1971, Bellvitge suffered a huge flood due to the overflowing of the Llobregat River (September 20, 1971). It caused 21 deaths, 14 of them in the province of Barcelona. The effects of the floodwaters were particularly severe in Martorell, Cornellà, Terrassa, El Prat de Llobregat, Girona, and Figueres. FULL TEXT AND PHOTOS ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE www.barcelonamemory.com