FACTS
Workers across Spain walked off the job Nov. 11 in a 24-hour Spain general strike over housing costs and wages, the first national general strike in the country in 14 years, Al Jazeera reported. Spain’s two largest union federations and tenant groups called the strike. It came less than three weeks before a snap national election on Nov. 29.
Who called the Spain general strike and what they want
The UGT and CCOO union federations agreed to the strike, which was first proposed by the Confederation of Tenants’ Unions, according to idealista/news. Smaller unions, including CGT and regional unions in Galicia and the Basque Country, also backed it.
The unions are demanding pay raises of 4% to 7% with clauses that adjust salaries over time. They also want limits on rent, a permanent stock of public protected housing and full enforcement of Spain’s Right to Housing Law in every region. UGT and CCOO described the strike as being for “the right to housing and decent wages to pay for it.”
Scenes in Madrid, Barcelona and other cities
Protesters blocked Gran Via in central Madrid, and many shops boarded up their windows, Al Jazeera reported. Police lined up outside major department stores. Demonstrations also took place in Barcelona, Malaga and San Sebastian, and Barcelona’s Casa Batllo was closed for the day.
Democracy Now! reported that millions of people joined the strike. Al Jazeera did not give a participation figure.
“We are fighting for a combination of things: lower housing costs and higher wages,” a teacher identified as Antonio told Al Jazeera.
The housing numbers behind the protest
Spain’s youth council says a young person would need 98.7% of a monthly salary to rent a home alone, according to Al Jazeera. The Bank of Spain estimates 750,000 new homes are needed to meet current demand, a figure that could rise to 1 million. About 92,000 homes were built in 2025.
Al Jazeera reported that anger grew in September after an 87-year-old woman was evicted from the home she had lived in for about 70 years when she could not afford a fivefold rent increase from 500 euros a month.
The election ahead
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the Nov. 29 snap election after his minority government failed to pass legislation giving tenants some protections, Al Jazeera reported. His Socialist Party is trailing in the polls “behind the combined support for right-wing and far-right parties,” Al Jazeera reported.
More coverage is in the Stay Current News World section.
