Spain general strike disrupts transport over housing costs

Spain experienced its first general strike in 14 years on Wednesday, bringing serious disruption to transport and public services across the country. The strike was called by the main labour unions to protest against unaffordable housing and the high cost of living. Demonstrations took place in cities including Madrid and Barcelona, with tens of thousands marching in the evening.

Unions claim success, business groups push back

Pepe Álvarez, head of the UGT labour union, described participation as “massive” and called the strike a success. Unai Sordo of the CC OO union said turnout was “very significant”. But the Spanish Confederation of Business Organisations claimed participation was “low and uneven”, varying by area and sector. The biggest disruption was reported in the industrial hubs of Madrid and the north-eastern region of Catalonia, where traffic was halted on several main roads. The interior ministry said dozens of people were arrested for a variety of incidents, and Spanish media reported attacks on estate agency offices.

Housing crisis and political tensions

The strike was triggered by protests over affordable housing and rising living costs, following the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from a Madrid flat where she had lived for seven decades. She died in hospital weeks later. Rental prices in the capital have soared in recent years; a 50-square-metre apartment in Madrid cost an average of €1,170 a month in October, according to property portal Idealista. With Spain’s average gross monthly salary around €2,460, rent eats up nearly half of income—well above the 30% affordability level recommended by many housing experts and public institutions.

Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called snap elections last month after parliament failed to approve a housing reform plan. Sánchez and his ministers encouraged workers to down tools and demand affordable housing. “Your eight-hour day. Your pension. Your public healthcare… These were collective conquests,” he wrote on social media. The conservative People’s Party (PP) accused the government of trying to weaponise the strike for electoral gain. PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo called the general strike “nonsense” and described unions as “mafia” and “trash”. His party is leading in polls ahead of the 29 November vote.

Voices from the street

Gonzalo Álvarez, a 27-year-old sales worker, visited picket lines in central Madrid. He volunteers for a housing union that protects tenants and raises awareness of their rights. He told the BBC that Abascal’s eviction at the end of September “was the little fire” that sparked the protest. Álvarez knew Abascal and was upset by her treatment after new landlords tripled her rent. He rents a small one-bedroom flat with his girlfriend in the southern Arganzuela district, paying €1,000 between them. Each spends about half their salary on housing before other bills. “It’s absolutely crazy… with the food, with the electricity, with the water, with gas,” he said. He sees no way onto the property ladder: “You have to collect an insane amount of money to be able to buy a house. So with these salaries, it’s impossible.”

Miguel Garrido, vice-president of the CEOE, Spain’s biggest business association, criticised the strike, saying businesses had little to do with housing prices. He argued the strike was political, not labour-related, and closely linked to the early election call. Power usage in Spain fell 7.5% during the early hours of Wednesday, according to grid operator Red Eléctrica. During the last general strike 14 years ago, consumption dropped more than 15%.