In the Region Murcia the trade unions have CCOO, UGT and Intersindical together with housing and social initiatives, called for a 11 November 24-hour general strike. The action targets low wages, sharply rising rents and shortcomings in public services. According to the organisers, participants include Sindicato de Vivienda, with PAH, with HOAC and No+Precariedad.
The call follows several local disputes that have intensified since late summer. Unions and tenants’ groups point to cases of acute housing insecurity, falling purchasing power and growing pressure in the workplace. They describe an income conflict: while corporate profits and productivity have risen, many wages are not enough to cover increased housing costs in Murcia The demands include substantial pay rises, stronger rent regulation and an expansion of the permanently designated social housing stock.
The mobilisation combines workplace and community action. Work stoppages have been announced at workplaces across the Region of Murcia, while demonstrations and rallies are planned in neighbourhoods. Unions plan to set up picket lines in industrial areas to inform workers and coordinate participation. The organisers stress that the action is politically motivated but independent of political parties, and is directed at the relevant municipal, regional and central government authorities.
Authorities and employers have been informed of the plans. Local administrations cite the right to peaceful assembly and have announced measures to protect critical infrastructure. Main meeting points and march routes in Murcia have been set for 11 November; some disruption to public services is expected.
Meanwhile, tenants’ initiatives report a nationwide trend, saying that rallies and protests have already taken place in numerous cities. However, the strike call itself applies explicitly to the region. The organising groups are cautious about giving specific participation forecasts, pointing instead to broad support in workplaces with recent pay disputes and in neighbourhoods where rents have risen sharply.
The unions base their assessment on regional data series and workplace and household surveys. Recently published independent statistics in detail are not available for every area, but the documented trend is consistent: median income in Murcia remains below the Spanish average, while asking prices and rents have risen significantly in many cities across the region in recent years.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).