Spain Faces 24-Hour General Strike Over Housing Crisis
Unions say the walkout will disrupt transport, shops and factories as they press for rent controls and stronger tenant protections.
- On Wednesday, November 11, 2026, millions of Spanish workers participated in a 24-hour general strike, paralyzing transport and industry to demand government action on the nation's severe housing affordability crisis.
- Nationwide outrage over the September eviction and death of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal fueled the walkout, as soaring rents and a structural deficit of 750,000 homes leave many citizens unable to afford housing.
- Major unions UGT and CCOO reported 90% participation in automotive and port sectors, though police pepper-sprayed protesters at Madrid's Mercamadrid wholesale market, leaving at least 13 people seeking medical attention.
- Opposition parties dismissed the protest as a political maneuver ahead of the November 29 snap election, with Popular Party spokesperson Miguel Tellado calling it an "election strike" rather than a labor action.
- With the snap election approaching, the strike underscores intense political polarization over housing, as Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez faces trailing polls and a potential challenge from a far-right coalition.
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People across Spain are downing tools today. Spaniards are protesting against the ongoing housing crisis and rising cost of living.
Spain is on a general strike this Wednesday for the first time since 2012. Protesters express their dissatisfaction with their purchasing power and the housing crisis. This mobilisation takes place less than three weeks from pre-emptive parliamentary elections particularly undecided. - Why is Spain on a general strike before the general elections? (International).
A few weeks before the snap elections, Spain is holding its first 24-hour general strike since 2012. The strikers' demands include resolving the country's housing crisis, as well as higher wages and improved public services.
"The future is not very promising," regrets one mother in Madrid. The participation rate will be particularly monitored.
Daily Record
AudacySpain’s workers hold a general strike over housing costs before a national election
Millions of Spanish workers have shut down businesses and disrupted transportation in a protest over housing costs. The strike on Wednesday was the first general strike in Spain in 14 years. Storefronts in Barcelona were boarded up and public transportation…
Millions went on strike in Spain over the housing crisis. There were roadblocks in Barcelona, clashes with police in Madrid, and 27 people were arrested.
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