A nationwide general strike for affordable housing and better wages ended in Spain on 11 November with large demonstrations. According to the news agency EFE, workers’ participation in the stoppages varied by sector and region. The Trade unions described it as a success, while the employers’ association called the strike a failure.
The 24-hour stoppage was called by, among others, the trade union confederations Comisiones Obreras and Unión General de Trabajadores, as well as other unions. Also tenants’ organisations supported the protest. The main issues were access to housing, wage trends and the cost of living.
In Madrid According to the government delegation, 120,000 people attended the main demonstration. The tenants’ organisation Sindicato de Inquilinas, however, put the figure at 400,000 participants. For Barcelona the city police reported 55,000 people, while organisers also put the figure there at 400,000. The figures cannot be added together to produce a reliable total for participation in the strike.
According to EFE, the two major trade union confederations did not give a nationwide total for the number of strikers. The employers’ association CEOE estimated participation at less than five per cent. This is the association’s estimate, not an independently verified rate. The Associated Press reported that both sides considered participation in heavy industry and transport to be higher than, for example, in retail and hospitality.
The stoppage also affected industry and transport. According to EFE, production came to a halt at, among other sites, the Seat plant in Martorell near Barcelona. The report also said that 332 flights were cancelled at Spanish airports. The government had ordered minimum service levels in areas such as electricity supply minimum service levels to ensure supply and safety.
There were also incidents during and after protests. Europa Press reported on 12 November that at least 75 people had been arrested across the country. According to the agency, shop windows were damaged and containers set alight, among other incidents, after the rally in Barcelona. Unions criticised police action against pickets.
The demands extend beyond the day of the strike: the trade union confederation Unión General de Trabajadores is calling, among other things, for controls on Rents, protection from evictions and more permanently subsidised housing. It is also calling for progress in collective bargaining and an increase in the minimum wage.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).