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Spanish unions call general strike over housing crisis before snap election

First joint strike by Spain's two largest unions in 14 years planned for November 11, pending ratification

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time2 min
Spain's two largest trade unions, the Workers' General Union (UGT) and Workers' Commissions (CCOO), have announced a nationwide general strike over housing issues for November 11, weeks before a snap election on November 29. The planned date requires ratification by other unions in a meeting later this week.

The strike call follows weeks of protests sparked by the eviction of 87-year-old Maria del Carmen Abascal, known as Maricarmen, from her Madrid home. An international investment fund had raised her rent by more than 200 percent, to roughly $1,880 a month, in an effort to push out the long-term tenant for tourist apartments. Her eviction became a symbol of Spain's deepening housing crisis, prompting encampments in Madrid's Puerta del Sol and demonstrations in dozens of cities.

"We cannot ignore the fact that housing is where most of our wages go. What is the point of raising the minimum wage if housing costs are rising three, four or five times faster?" Madrid Tenants' Union spokesperson Valeria Racu said.

The Bank of Spain estimates a deficit of about 750,000 homes, set to exceed one million by 2028. The average monthly rent of 1,176 euros ($1,315) amounts to 98.7 percent of a young person's average salary, according to the Youth Council of Spain.

The strike announcement came after Spain's parliament last week rejected government emergency housing measures. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez subsequently called an early election for November 29. His main rival is conservative Popular Party leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo.

If ratified, the strike will be the first general strike jointly backed by Spain's two largest unions in 14 years.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • The general strike could significantly disrupt the election campaign, forcing housing affordability to centre stage.
  • The housing crisis directly affects millions of Spaniards, particularly young people struggling with rents that consume nearly all of an average salary.
  • A joint general strike by Spain's two largest unions would be the first in 14 years, indicating the severity of the crisis and the level of public anger.

Background

Spain's housing crisis has worsened in recent years due to factors including a boom in tourist apartments, purchases by international investment funds, and a chronic shortage of affordable housing. The eviction of Maricarmen sparked mass protests that spread across the country. Prime Minister Sanchez's government attempted to pass emergency housing decrees but failed to get them through parliament, prompting him to call a snap election on November 29. The conservative Popular Party and far-right Vox are expected to make housing a major campaign issue.

Key Perspectives

Trade unions (UGT and CCOO): They argue that housing costs are consuming an unsustainable share of wages, making a strike necessary to force government action. They point to the failure of recent legislative efforts as justification for industrial action. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and his government: Facing an election after failing to pass housing measures, Sanchez is under pressure to address the crisis while campaigning. The strike could either galvanise support for his party or further undermine its standing. Critics and skeptics: Some may argue the strike is politically timed to influence the election, or that market-based solutions rather than government intervention are needed to address housing supply shortages. Others might question the effectiveness of a general strike in resolving structural issues like housing stock deficits.

What to Watch

  • The outcome of Wednesday's union meeting to ratify the November 11 strike date.
  • Whether the strike proceeds and what level of participation it attracts.
  • The impact of the housing crisis on voting intentions as the snap election campaign intensifies.
  • Any last-minute government proposals to address the housing shortage before the election.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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