Marcelino Camacho
Encyclopedia
Marcelino Camacho Abad (January 21, 1918 – October 29, 2010), was a Spanish trade union
ist and politician. He was a founding member of Comisiones Obreras (CC.OO) and its first Secretary-General, holding this position between 1976 and 1987, and a communist deputy for Madrid Province
between 1977 and 1981.
Born the son of a unionized signalman in the village of Osma, Soria
, Spain
, Camacho was familiar with socialist positions from a young age. In 1935 he joined the Communist Party of Spain (PCE), and its Youth Organization
as well as the General Workers' Union
.
During the Spanish Civil War
, Camacho took part as a private in the Republican Army in the Central and Southern fronts. He was captured by the Francoist
forces at the end of the war in 1939 and sentenced to serve forced labor in a penal battalion in Spanish Morocco
.
In 1944 Camacho, along with other prisoners, managed to escape to Oran
(in French Algeria
) where there was an active colony of Spanish exiles. There he joined the local cell of the Spanish Unified Socialist Youth
where he met his wife, Josefina Samper. He received training as a mill operator, and joined the General Confederation of Labour.
In 1957 he returned to Spain with his family and started working in the Madrid factory of Perkins Engines. Camacho was active in a trade unionist campaign, creating an anti-Francoist workers' commission to infiltrate the Francoist Spanish Trade Union Organisation
. This activity got Camacho elected to the Regional Metal Workers' Commission, the first stable embryo of what would become the CC.OO trade union. In 1966 he was imprisoned in Carabanchel prison
until 1972. Shortly after release he was rearrested, along with nine other leaders of CCOO and the Communist Party of Spain under Public Order Court Process 1001. During that period Marcelino Camacho conducted several protests in jail, including hunger strikes. In 1975 Camacho was released, benefiting from a Royal Amnesty granted by proclamation of Juan Carlos I as King of Spain.
In 1976, Marcelino Camacho was elected to the Executive Committee of the Communist Party of Spain and shortly after that he was elected the first Secretary-General of CCOO. In the 1977 elections
Camacho stood second in the PCE list for Madrid to the Congress of Deputies and was elected.
During his tenure as General Secretary of CCOO, Camacho oversaw the support of the union to the Spanish Constitution of 1977, the signing of the Moncloa Agreements and the first General Strike
called in Spain after the restoration of democracy in 1985. During that time CCOO became the first Trade Union in Spain by membership and number of workers' representatives.
As a deputy he represented the Communist Parliamentary Group in labor issues, most importantly leading the groups rejection of the code of labor. In 1981 Camacho resigned his seat in Congress to dedicate himself to his trade union position.
In 1987 Camacho was succeeded by Antonio Gutierrez as Secretary General of CCOO, remaining as Honorary President for the next nine years.
After his retirement Camacho remained active to a certain extent in politics and trade unionism as a member of the Confederal Council of CCOO and of the Central Committee of the PCE, as well as the Federal Council of United Left
until just a few years before his death. He died in Madrid
.
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
ist and politician. He was a founding member of Comisiones Obreras (CC.OO) and its first Secretary-General, holding this position between 1976 and 1987, and a communist deputy for Madrid Province
Madrid (Spanish Congress Electoral District)
Madrid is one of the 52 electoral districts used for the Spanish Congress of Deputies - the lower chamber of the Spanish Parliament, the Cortes Generales. It has the largest electorate of all the 52 districts. Madrid is the largest city...
between 1977 and 1981.
Born the son of a unionized signalman in the village of Osma, Soria
Soria
Soria is a city in north-central Spain, the capital of the province of Soria in the autonomous community of Castile and León. , the municipality has a population of c. 39,500 inhabitants, nearly 40% of the population of the province...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Camacho was familiar with socialist positions from a young age. In 1935 he joined the Communist Party of Spain (PCE), and its Youth Organization
Communist Youth Union of Spain
The Communist Youth Union of Spain is the Youth Organization of the Communist Party of Spain, defined by its by-laws as "Independent in organizational issues, autonomous in political issues and under the strategical line of the Party." UJCE defines itself as Marxist-Leninist and is based on the...
as well as the General Workers' Union
Unión General de Trabajadores
The Unión General de Trabajadores is a major Spanish trade union, historically affiliated with the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party .-History:...
.
During the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, Camacho took part as a private in the Republican Army in the Central and Southern fronts. He was captured by the Francoist
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
forces at the end of the war in 1939 and sentenced to serve forced labor in a penal battalion in Spanish Morocco
Spanish Morocco
The Spanish protectorate of Morocco was the area of Morocco under colonial rule by the Spanish Empire, established by the Treaty of Fez in 1912 and ending in 1956, when both France and Spain recognized Moroccan independence.-Territorial borders:...
.
In 1944 Camacho, along with other prisoners, managed to escape to Oran
Oran
Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
(in French Algeria
French Algeria
French Algeria lasted from 1830 to 1962, under a variety of governmental systems. From 1848 until independence, the whole Mediterranean region of Algeria was administered as an integral part of France, much like Corsica and Réunion are to this day. The vast arid interior of Algeria, like the rest...
) where there was an active colony of Spanish exiles. There he joined the local cell of the Spanish Unified Socialist Youth
Unified Socialist Youth
Juventudes Socialistas Unificadas - Unified Socialist Youth was a youth organization formed in the spring of 1936 in Spain through the amalgamation of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party and Communist Party of Spain youth groups...
where he met his wife, Josefina Samper. He received training as a mill operator, and joined the General Confederation of Labour.
In 1957 he returned to Spain with his family and started working in the Madrid factory of Perkins Engines. Camacho was active in a trade unionist campaign, creating an anti-Francoist workers' commission to infiltrate the Francoist Spanish Trade Union Organisation
Spanish Trade Union Organisation
The Spanish Trade Union Organisation , commonly known as Vertical Syndicate , was the only legal trade union organisation in Francoist Spain , and a main component of the Movimiento Nacional Francoist apparatus...
. This activity got Camacho elected to the Regional Metal Workers' Commission, the first stable embryo of what would become the CC.OO trade union. In 1966 he was imprisoned in Carabanchel prison
Carabanchel Prison
Carabanchel Prison was constructed by political prisoners after the Spanish Civil War between 1940 and 1944 in the Madrid's neighbourhood of Carabanchel. It was one of the biggest prisons in Europe until its closure in 1998...
until 1972. Shortly after release he was rearrested, along with nine other leaders of CCOO and the Communist Party of Spain under Public Order Court Process 1001. During that period Marcelino Camacho conducted several protests in jail, including hunger strikes. In 1975 Camacho was released, benefiting from a Royal Amnesty granted by proclamation of Juan Carlos I as King of Spain.
In 1976, Marcelino Camacho was elected to the Executive Committee of the Communist Party of Spain and shortly after that he was elected the first Secretary-General of CCOO. In the 1977 elections
Spanish general election, 1977
The Spanish general election of 1977 took place on 15 June 1977. It was the first election since the death of Francisco Franco.Voting was on the basis of universal suffrage in a secret ballot. The elections were held using closed list proportional representation in 52 electoral districts...
Camacho stood second in the PCE list for Madrid to the Congress of Deputies and was elected.
During his tenure as General Secretary of CCOO, Camacho oversaw the support of the union to the Spanish Constitution of 1977, the signing of the Moncloa Agreements and the first General Strike
General strike
A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...
called in Spain after the restoration of democracy in 1985. During that time CCOO became the first Trade Union in Spain by membership and number of workers' representatives.
As a deputy he represented the Communist Parliamentary Group in labor issues, most importantly leading the groups rejection of the code of labor. In 1981 Camacho resigned his seat in Congress to dedicate himself to his trade union position.
In 1987 Camacho was succeeded by Antonio Gutierrez as Secretary General of CCOO, remaining as Honorary President for the next nine years.
After his retirement Camacho remained active to a certain extent in politics and trade unionism as a member of the Confederal Council of CCOO and of the Central Committee of the PCE, as well as the Federal Council of United Left
United Left (Spain)
The United Left is a political coalition that was organized in 1986 bringing together several political organisations opposed to Spain joining NATO. It was formed by a number of groups of leftists, greens, left-wing socialists and republicans, but was dominated by the Communist Party of Spain...
until just a few years before his death. He died in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
.