Metall en Lluita

The majority of Catalonia's several million-strong population works in the metallurgical industry. For generations, work in iron ore mining, metal processing, and the production of metal components for the shipbuilding and automotive industries has been the primary source of income for many Catalan families. Systematically deteriorating working conditions and low wages have led metallurgical workers to protest for years, demanding pay raises, reduced working hours in hazardous conditions, and access to basic healthcare packages. These protests—a symbol of the dire situation in this economic sector—are known by Catalans as "Metall en lluita" (literally: "metal in tears" or "crying metal"). The Catalan metallurgical industry is one of the foundations of Spain's economic growth, which is why the Metall en lluita protests have been met with understanding for many years by trade unions, which have successfully mediated negotiations with the Catalan authorities. However, at the end of October 2025, when a crowd of several thousand metalworkers marched through the streets of Barcelona to shout their latest demands, no one from the Catalan authorities or trade union representatives approached the strikers. The Generalitat Catalunya headquarters, in front of which the crowd of strikers had gathered, appeared closed. Industrial Revolution 4.0 – based on automation, artificial intelligence, and robotics – had just begun.