Spain holds first general strike in 14 years over housing crisis

Summarised from 12 outlets · 24 reports · Updated 11 Nov, 21:57 · Archive

Millions of Spanish workers staged a 24-hour general strike on Wednesday over soaring rents and living costs, the first such action in 14 years.

Millions of Spanish workers staged a nationwide 24-hour walkout on Wednesday over the country's worsening housing crisis. The strike, called by Spain's two largest unions UGT and CCOO, brought disruption to public transport, businesses, shops and factories across the eurozone's fourth-largest economy in what was the country's first general strike in 14 years.

The walkout took place under the slogan 'Salaries. Housing. Prices.' Workers set up picket lines despite stormy weather in many areas. The unions reported widespread participation, with 90 per cent of workers in the automotive and port sectors joining the strike, and 82 per cent in waste collection. However, the Spanish Confederation of Business Organisations said participation was 'low and uneven' depending on area and sector, with strongest support reported in coastal regions such as Catalonia and Andalusia.

Large evening protests followed the strike action. Authorities in Madrid reported around 120,000 demonstrators gathering despite heavy rain, while Barcelona city officials recorded 55,000 people marching behind a banner reading 'Live. Not Just Survive.' Housing activists claimed the Barcelona turnout was far larger at 400,000. Protesters carried placards shaped like houses and chanted 'We have no home' as they called for more affordable housing.

The strike was triggered by widespread anger over Spain's acute housing shortage and soaring rents. The crisis became a national focus following the eviction in September of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from a Madrid flat where she had lived for seven decades. She reportedly faced a fivefold increase in her monthly rent of 500 euros and died weeks later. Spain currently faces a shortage of approximately 750,000 homes, expected to exceed one million by 2028 according to the central bank. Average rents have almost doubled over the past decade. In Madrid, a 50-square-metre apartment cost an average of €1,170 per month as of October, whilst Spain's average gross monthly salary is about €2,460.

UGT Secretary-General Pepe Álvarez said there was 'no salary that can cope with the price of housing in this country'. Alicia del Rio, spokesperson for the Madrid Tenants' Union, stated: 'We won't stop until we transform this country's housing model from top to bottom so that houses are for living instead of being at the service of the landlord minority.' Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said: 'This is not a strike against anyone, but rather one in favour of a common response from all levels of government to a real problem, which is access to housing.'

After the largely peaceful marches, small groups of younger protesters in Barcelona and Madrid engaged in vandalism. In Barcelona, demonstrators smashed storefronts along the Paseo de Gracia shopping avenue, set fires, burned rubbish bins and launched fireworks at police in riot gear and armoured vehicles. At Madrid's main wholesale market, scuffles broke out between picketers and police, with at least 13 people seeking medical attention after pepper spray was used. Police reported dozens of arrests across the country, with some estate agencies experiencing attacks on their offices.

The strike takes place less than three weeks before Spain's parliamentary elections scheduled for 29 November. Prime Minister Sánchez called snap elections in October after his minority government failed to secure parliamentary approval for a housing reform package in response to the protests. His Socialist Party currently remains behind in opinion polls. The strike is also the first in Spain driven primarily by anger over the cost of living and housing rather than other labour disputes.

How it is being reported

• Barcelona erupts in violence after general strikeProtesters hurled fireworks at police and set rubbish bins ablaze in Barcelona after Spain’s general strike.Al Jazeera · 11 Nov, 23:50
• Spain: Clashes erupt in Barcelona after peaceful general strike marchBurning barricades and clashes with riot police erupted in Barcelona after a peaceful march against soaring housing costs. Police used projectiles to disperse masked protesters as violence spread through the city centre.Euronews · 11 Nov, 22:54
• Spain: 120,000 brave rain to demand affordable housing and better wagesAround 120,000 demonstrators marched through central Madrid on Wednesday 11 November, according to authorities, as Spain's first nationwide general strike since 2012 brought crowds onto the streets to protest against soaring housing costs and mounting pressure on household budgets.Euronews · 11 Nov, 22:36
• Housing crisis protesters loot stores and set bins ablaze as they clash with riot police in SpainThousands took to the streets of Spain today for the country's first general strike in 14 years in a nationwide protest over soaring rents and real estate prices.Daily Mail · 11 Nov, 21:49
• Fiery chaos erupts across Spain as protesters clash with police during massive nationwide strikeSpain's first general strike in 14 years turned violent in Barcelona as protesters set fires and launched fireworks at riot police on Paseo de Gracia.Fox News · 11 Nov, 21:46
• General strike over housing brings out hundreds of thousands in SpainMillions of workers in Spain shut down businesses and public transport on Wednesday, as part of the country's first general strike in 14 years. Following a peaceful march in Barcelona over soaring rents and property prices, and the rising cost of living, protesters smashed storefronts, set off small bonfires, burned bins and launched fireworks towards police. The unrest comes just weeks before snap elections, called by Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. FRANCE 24's Sarah Morris reports from Madrid.France 24 · 11 Nov, 21:31
• Protesters clash with riot police as Spain’s workers' strike over housing crisis descends into violenceA general strike took place on Wednesday as millions of workers took to the streets to protestIndependent World · 11 Nov, 21:30
• General strike over housing brings out tens of thousands in SpainTens of thousands of protesters marched across Spain on Wednesday during a general strike over housing affordability and purchasing power just weeks before an early general election. Unions reported a significant response in some sectors in Spain's first nationwide 24-hour stoppage since 2012, but business leaders played down the participation. Braving heavy rain, tens of thousands of demonstrators marched through central Madrid carrying placards shaped like houses and chanting "We have no home" as they called for more affordable housing. FRANCE 24's Sarah Morris reports from Madrid.France 24 · 11 Nov, 19:37
• Spain faces nationwide protests over soaring housing costsSpain faces nationwide protests over soaring housing costsAl Jazeera · 11 Nov, 17:49
• Workers across Spain stage first general strike in 14 yearsPeople across Spain are striking, primarily over housing costs.BBC Business · 11 Nov, 17:01
• Millions of Spanish workers strike over housing crisis just weeks before snap electionA general strike took place on Wednesday, with millions taking to the streets to protestIndependent World · 11 Nov, 16:44
• ‘It’s just too expensive’: Housing and wages at the heart of Spain’s strikeMass walkout across several cities marks first general strike in 14 years.Al Jazeera · 11 Nov, 16:20
• Protesters gather in Spain for first general strike in 14 yearsThousands are protesting across Spain over housing and the high cost of living.BBC Business · 11 Nov, 16:12
• Spain: General strike over housing costs before national electionMillions of Spanish workers shut down businesses and public transportation in a protest on Wednesday over housing costs that the government hopes to leverage before a national election later this month. The walkout — under the slogan “Salaries. Housing. Prices.” — was the first general strike in Spain in 14 years.France 24 · 11 Nov, 15:54
• Spain sees widespread disruption in first general strike for 14 yearsProtests were expected in the biggest cities less than three weeks before Spaniards vote in parliamentary elections.BBC Business · 11 Nov, 14:06
• Millions join Spain’s first general strike in 14 years in protest at rising housing costsThe 24-hour stoppage has drawn high participation across sectors and comes weeks before election in which far right could gain power Millions of people across Spain have joined the country’s first general strike in 14 years, setting up picket lines to protest against soaring housing prices before an election in which the far right could be catapulted into power. At the centre of Wednesday’s nationwide 24-hour stoppage, singularly backed by the country’s largest unions as well as tenants’ associations, is a pushback against Spain’s deepening housing crisis. Continue reading...The Guardian · 11 Nov, 13:54
• General strikes to paralyze Spain as protestors clash with police ahead of election campaignSpanish workers are expected to turn out in their millions on Wednesday for the country's first general strike in 14 years.CNBC · 11 Nov, 12:39
• Spain roiled by first general strike in 14 yearsUnions stage action over soaring housing costs and low wages ahead of November 29 snap electionFinancial Times · 11 Nov, 10:40
• Spain’s first general strike in 14 years beginsStrike disrupts public transport and industries amid demands for housing reform ahead of November 29 elections.Al Jazeera · 11 Nov, 10:18
• Spain's first general strike in 14 years demands solutions to housing crisisLess than three weeks before a national election that could catapult the far right to power, Spain's workers are striking on Wednesday to demand that the government remedy the nation's housing crisis.NPR · 11 Nov, 09:54
• Spain: Housing crisis prompts general strikeWorkers across nearly all industries have taken to the picket lines as rents soar and the housing crunch worsens. The crisis is the main political debate ahead of Spain's November 29 elections.DW News · 11 Nov, 09:11
• Spain: Housing crisis prompts general strike, mass nighttime protestsHundreds of thousands of citizens have hit the streets to protest Spain's housing crisis after millions of union workers staged a general strike. The crisis has triggered snap elections to take place on November 29.DW News · 11 Nov, 09:11
• Spain’s general strike puts housing crisis at centre of upcoming electionsFor the first time in 14 years, millions of Spanish workers are striking across the country Wednesday to demand action on a major housing crisis and the rising cost of living. The expected disruptions to public transport and the widespread closure of businesses come less than three weeks before a snap election that could bring the far right to power.France 24 · 11 Nov, 08:29
• Spain braces for nationwide strike as anger over housing, costs boils overThe 24-hour walkout, called by Spain’s two biggest unions, is due to start on Wednesday.Al Jazeera · 10 Nov, 18:07

In this story: Spain · Pedro Sánchez · Maricarmen Abascal · Madrid · Barcelona · UGT · CCOO · Madrid Tenants' Union

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