Peñarroya in Sierra de Lujar (second half of the xxth century): A big corporation in a small scale mining historical territory

Abstract

Having been a relatively modest partner in the Penibetica mining boom of 19th century that was based on lead ores and small scale production, mining in the Sierra de Lujar was, during a large part of the second half of 20th, a matter of one of the leading companies in the field as Peñarroya. Regarding this last phase, this paper focuses on company «management» of labour, related to its production strategies in specific geological conditions and socioeconomic context. In interaction with this, analysis also looks at workers answers and emphasizes about the dynamic of reciprocal adaptations which is revealed by the evolution of working conditions, its changes and continuities. Better times for miners came quite late and were short-lived. Case study extends to the very recent past historian’s reflection on the role of mining industry in contemporaneous Spain «development».