Protestsupdated 22m ago2 min read
Spain General Strike Begins Over Housing Crisis, With Police Accused At Mercamadrid
“Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez hopes to harness voter resentment over housing in the November 29 election”
“Wednesday’s strike could help the government bring the housing crisis back to the centre of the political debate”
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
First general strike in 14 years over housing costs and access. Unions CCOO and UGT lead, with tenant groups, across 130+ cities.
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Strike begins at midnight
Spain’s general strike over the housing crisis began at 00:00 on Wednesday, with stoppages in various sectors and demonstrations in several autonomous communities. UGT secretary general Pepe Álvarez denounced on his X account that police were “preventing the constitutional right to strike” by cornering the informational picket deployed at Mercamadrid. CCOO reported early effects during the night shifts in Catalonia, including that activities in facilities of Seat in Martorell, Ficosa in Viladecavalls, Grifols in Parets, Nestlé in Gerona, Repsol Fuels in La Pobla de Mafumet, and Mercabarna have been halted.
Barcelona’s port stopped cargo transportation and container handling operations, and Madrid’s Metro was required to maintain 80% of its trains during peak hours and 50% for the rest of the day. In Madrid, the march was scheduled for 18:00 from Atocha to Plaza de España, while Barcelona’s demonstration was set to begin at 17:30 in the Jardinets de Gràcia.
Police, pickets, and turnout
Pepe Álvarez framed the day as a direct confrontation with the state, saying on X, “Today, November 11, the country stops for housing, decent wages, and high-quality public services, whether you like it or not.” A police spokesperson confirmed an arrest at Madrid’s Mercamadrid but did not confirm the use of pepper spray, after the CCOO union said police fired pepper spray at pickets and arrested one of them. CCOO said the early hours of mobilization in Seville’s province were a “success,” while the strike’s follow-up in Galicia included reports of widespread activity stoppages in the auto industry, transportation centers, and garbage collection services.
In Madrid, protesters blocked traffic by dragging large recycling bins onto the streets, and in Barcelona many shops were closed and boarded up in anticipation of unrest. Reuters reporting said the walkout was backed by UGT and CCOO, representing more than a million workers, and unions said participation was uneven across Spain with strongest support in coastal regions.
Election stakes and demands
The strike was called less than three weeks before the general election on November 29, and it was presented as a response to rising rents, housing affordability problems, and the cost of living.
RFI said the strike’s demands included a call to increase the minimum wage from 1,220 to 1,300 euros, to limit acquisitions of properties by investment funds, to cap rents, and to establish indefinite rental contracts.
RFI also reported that the strike aimed to prevent any eviction of tenants if they do not have another place to live, linking the mobilization to the death of Maricarmen after she was evicted while very ill.
Le Figaro quoted Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez saying, “This strike is not directed at anyone. It is aimed at obtaining a common response from all administrations to a real problem: access to housing,” and it said the government planned to have measures adopted the day after the strike.
Euronews reported that the call drew criticism from the Partido Popular, with its leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo warning that the unions might have committed a “historic error” by calling the stoppage.