Millions of Spanish workers went on strike on Wednesday in the country’s first general strike in 14 years, demanding government action on a housing crisis less than three weeks before a national election. The 24-hour Spain general strike over housing began at midnight, according to Al Jazeera. The walkout disrupted public transport and forced businesses, factories and shops to scale back or close.
Minor incidents were reported in the first hours. According to Al Jazeera, there were roadblocks with burning tyres in Barcelona and scuffles between picketers and police near Madrid’s main wholesale market. Pickets were also set up despite stormy weather, and SCMP reported that the strike caused delays in public transport and slowed factories across the eurozone’s fourth-largest economy.
The unions UGT and CCOO reported widespread participation, including 90 percent in the automotive and port sectors, according to a statement posted on social media. These figures come from the unions’ own statement and have not been independently verified. No official figures on the strike’s overall turnout or economic impact were provided.
The protests were triggered by the forced eviction in September of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal in Madrid, who died a few days later, according to Al Jazeera. Details of the eviction come from that single source.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called a snap election for November 29 after his minority government failed to secure approval for a package of housing measures, Al Jazeera reported. The government’s response to the strike itself is not included in the available reporting. Sanchez’s quoted remarks concern housing policy in general.
The average rent in Spain has almost doubled over the past 10 years. According to Idealista, renting a 50-square-metre apartment in Madrid averaged 1,170 euros a month in October, against an average gross monthly salary of about 2,460 euros. The Youth Council of Spain said rent amounts to 98.7 percent of the average young person’s income, well above the 30 percent commonly recommended. SCMP reports that Spain needs at least 750,000 more homes.
Business groups rejected the strike as an election-related protest. The conservative Popular Party and the far-right Vox also criticised it. PP leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo called it a "serious mistake" after a high-speed train collision last month that killed 69 people.
The election is set for November 29, less than three weeks after the strike. Al Jazeera reports that it could bring the far right to power. No sources cover the outcome of the strike beyond Wednesday. France 24 provided only a headline and short excerpt, so no further details from that outlet are confirmed, and the accounts of incidents in Barcelona and Madrid are early reports from the first hours only.
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This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.