Spanish general strike shuts down country over housing crisis

Spain was brought to a standstill on 11 November as millions of workers, tenants and students joined the country’s first general strike in 14 years. The 24-hour walkout, called by the major unions CCOO and UGT alongside tenant organisations, disrupted transport, industry, ports, schools and public services across more than 50 cities. Organisers framed the action as a unified revolt against a housing system that enriches landlords and investment funds while working people cannot afford a roof.

The strike, known as 11N, saw turnout that union leaders said exceeded expectations. Unai Sordo, general secretary of CCOO, described it as a success in terms of participation. Novara Media reports 90% stoppages among dockworkers and carmakers, with total halts at Volkswagen’s Navarre plant and SEAT’s Barcelona factory. Around 85% of meat industry workers, 82% of waste collection staff and 75% of energy sector employees joined, while electricity demand dropped 10%, signalling a halt in heavy industry. In healthcare and social services 38% struck, and 35% of postal workers walked out. The Madrid Tenants’ Union estimated up to 4 million people took part, despite autumn storms Charles and Bruna.

Unions and tenants unite

The mobilisation deliberately fused labour and housing struggles. “The 11N is not only a labour strike or a strike of tenants, it is a general strike for housing and against the cost of living,” organisers said. Sandra Mora, spokesperson for the Tenants Union, told national radio RNE: “It’s extremely important to remind people that we, the workers — who are also renters or who also pay mortgages — are the ones with the power to halt production and bring the economy to a standstill.” Pablo Pérez of the Madrid Tenants’ Union told Público: “What is at stake is who keeps the wealth we produce and who has the power to decide over our lives.”

Crisis rooted in speculation

The immediate trigger was the September eviction of 87-year-old María del Carmen Abascal, known as Maricarmen, from her Madrid flat of seven decades. After an investment fund bought the building, her rent was raised from €500 to €2,650 — far above her pension. She was forcibly removed on a stretcher, returned after mass protests, but died two weeks later. Her case crystallised a structural emergency. Green Left reports average rents have nearly doubled in a decade while wages lag. Spain’s central bank cites a deficit of 750,000 homes, potentially exceeding one million by 2028. Publicly owned rental housing accounts for less than 2% of stock, against an EU average of 8%. The Spanish Youth Council calculates the average monthly rent of €1,176 consumes 98.7% of a young person’s average salary. “I doubt I’ll ever be able to own a home, let alone have a family like my parents could at my age,” Elena Carmona, a bookstore worker in Madrid, told Público.

Election looms as far right rises

The strike comes three weeks before a snap general election on 29 November, called by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez after his minority government failed to pass housing reforms. Novara Media notes the far right leads polls, and Sánchez hopes to mobilise his base around housing despite criticism his government has not acted decisively. A deadly high-speed train crash last month — the fourth this year — has further eroded confidence. On the streets, repression appeared: CCOO said 13 people in Madrid needed medical attention after police fired pepper spray at picketers. “It’s a disgrace that workers are being prevented from exercising their right to strike,” the union said.

In our assessment, the 11N marks a qualitative shift. By shutting down production to demand housing as a right, Spanish workers are refusing the separation of “economic” and “social” demands that has long fragmented resistance. The strike’s scale, its sectoral breadth, and its explicit naming of speculation and rentier power suggest a mobilisation that could outlast the election cycle — if the unions and tenant movements sustain the convergence they have built.

This piece was generated automatically by an AI model from the sources listed below. It has not been reviewed by a human editor.

Sources

• Furious over housing costs, millions join general strike in Spain — Green Left (Australia)
• General strike brings Spain to a standstill — Morning Star
• Millions of Workers Shut Down Spain With First General Strike in 14 Years — Novara Media