José Bondía
José Bondía Román | |
|---|---|
| Born | Salamanca, Spain |
| Occupation | Trade union leader |
| Known for | General Secretary of the National Confederation of Labour (CNT) (1979–1983) |
José Bondía Román () is a Spanish trade union leader who held the position of General Secretary of the National Confederation of Labour (CNT) between 1979 and 1983. He played a significant role in advocating for involvement in works councils elections, heading a faction within the CNT that later integrated into the General Confederation of Labour (CGT).
Biography
Born in Salamanca, José Bondía Román relocated to Madrid, where he was employed by IBM. By the 1970s, he was actively engaged with the National Confederation of Labour (CNT), an anarcho-syndicalist union, as well as with the Madrid branch of the Iberian Anarchist Federation (FAI). During the period of the Spanish transition to democracy, at a national CNT plenary held in July 1976, Bondía was appointed as the organisation’s press secretary, working under the general secretary.
The CNT's 5th Congress convened in Madrid in December 1979 amid sharp disputes concerning participation in elections to works councils. Bondía was elected general secretary during an extended session attended by only 60 delegates, while approximately 90 delegates departed and established the CNT-CV in Valencia. Bondía affirmed that the CNT remained dedicated to social revolution and libertarian communism, explicitly rejecting the Moncloa Pacts.
During his term as general secretary, Bondía promoted a "boycott production" initiative; however, the CNT lacked sufficient strength to carry it out effectively. Gradually, his stance evolved toward endorsing involvement in union elections, supporting a pragmatic balance between reformist and revolutionary approaches depending on circumstances. Toward the conclusion of his leadership, Bondía increasingly made executive decisions without extensive consultation, which contributed to internal discord.
At the CNT's 6th Congress held in Barcelona in January 1983, delegates aligned with Bondía’s "renovationist" faction gained prominence; nonetheless, Antonio Pérez Canales replaced him as general secretary. The debate over participation in union elections persisted unresolved, leading to an extraordinary congress in April 1983 at Torrejón de Ardoz, which reaffirmed opposition to electoral engagement. In response, Bondía resigned and guided a breakaway group into a Reunification Congress with CNT-CV. This merger resulted in the creation of CNT-Renovada, later renamed the General Confederation of Labour (CGT) following a court ruling in 1989. Juan Gómez Casas criticized Bondía and fellow renovators by labeling them Pestañistas, alluding to Treintist leader Ángel Pestaña.