An general strike led to road closures and disruption to public transport in Catalonia on 11 November 2026. In the morning, demonstrators blocked, among other roads, the motorway AP-7 and the urban ring road Ronda Litoral in Barcelona. Access routes to industrial areas were also affected. The walkout is part of a general strike called across Spain, with demands including higher wages and better access to housing.
According to news agency Europa Press, the Catalan Traffic Service reported closures on the AP-7, including near Sant Gregori in Girona province and Cerdanyola del Vallès and other places in Barcelona province. Traffic on the A-2 was reportedly interrupted near El Prat de Llobregat and Sant Joan Despí in the direction of Barcelona. There were also closures in the Lleida area.
In Barcelona, the Ronda Litoral was blocked in both directions near Drassanes, newspaper El País reported. At Sants station demonstrators blocked the outside entrances. Travellers could still enter the building via the connections to the Metro, according to the newspaper. There were also train cancellations.
Workplaces were also affected. In Martorell demonstrators blocked the main entrance to the Seat factory, according to El País. Early-shift workers were unable to enter the site. The trade unions Comisiones Obreras and Unión General de Trabajadores said work had stopped at several large workplaces. This does not establish an independently verified participation rate.
For public transport, the Catalan regional government had ordered a minimum service level . Urban and interurban transport was to maintain 25 per cent of its usual service during peak hours, from 6.30 to 9.30 and from 16.30 to 21.00. Outside these times, the government set no minimum level for passenger transport. A 50 per cent service level was required for buses between Barcelona and the airport.
Minimum service levels were also set for other sectors. Hospitals were to maintain, for example, emergency care and the care of inpatients. In nursery and primary schools, the provision included one teacher for every six groups. These requirements describe the mandated minimum service, not necessarily the service actually provided.
Editor: Daniel Mayer (Article created with AI assistance).