Housing Morning Star
General strike brings Spain to a standstill
MILLIONS of Spanish workers shut down businesses and snarled transport in a massive protest today over housing costs. The walkout, under the slogan “Salaries. Housing. Prices,” was the first general s
English (original) ·Read in Deutsch ⇄
Northern Ireland / 10 November 2026 ‘School meals are not a luxury,’ children’s watchdog warns as prices set to rise 10 November 2026 Middle East / 10 November 2026 Trump tells reporters Iran war is ‘militarily effectively over’ 10 November 2026 Iran’s chief of staff says ‘we will have many surprises for the enemy during the future war’
MILLIONS of Spanish workers shut down businesses and snarled transport in a massive protest today over housing costs.
The walkout, under the slogan “Salaries. Housing. Prices,” was the first general strike in Spain in 14 years.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called snap elections for later this month after parliament failed to approve his plan for housing reform.
In Barcelona, most storefronts on a main shopping boulevard were boarded up in anticipation of protests later in the day.
Some retail chains were open to business while public transport was at a standstill or facing long delays.
Carlos Ferrer, a customer service worker who was trying to get back home to Alicante by train from Barcelona, said sometimes only “radical measures, such as a general strike” can force a change of course.
“Authorities need to feel pressure from the citizens so they can do something,” he said.
Strikers marched down the main streets of Madrid, blocking off Gran Via, the city’s main thoroughfare.
Protests also took place in more than 50 cities and towns across the country.
Manuel Gomez, a student in Madrid, said: “In Spain, we have a serious problem, which is that when we don’t like something, we never go out to protest.”
Unai Sordo, secretary general of CCOO, one of the two unions calling the action, said: “The strike has exceeded the labour unions’ expectations. It has been a success in terms of turnout.”
Earlier, the two unions, the CCOO and UGT, reported significant work stoppages in strategic sectors such as the automotive and port sectors, the meat industry, waste collection and the energy sector.
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.”
Europe / 5 October 2026 Snap general election called in Spain 5 October 2026 Western Europe / 3 September 2026 Moroccan authorities not behind deadly mass border crossing in Ceuta, Spanish PM says 3 September 2026 Men’s football / 5 August 2026 Spain coalition urges World Cup rethink over Ceuta crisis 5 August 2026 Men’s Football / 17 November 2025 The hidden cost of rebuilding Camp Nou 17 November 2025 As unions sound the alarm on kafala-like dependence, FC Barcelona must decide whether their values extend beyond the pitch, writes KIVANC ELIACIK