Millions of Spaniards launch first general strike in 14 years as anger over housing grows

Trade unions say four million Spanish workers took part in a general strike on Wednesday. Despite stormy weather, they formed picket lines to protest the housing affordability crisis less than three weeks before a snap general election.

It is Spain’s first general strike since 2012, when workers downed tools against harsh austerity measures during the eurozone debt crisis. The action was backed by UGT and CCOO, the country’s two largest trade unions, which together represent more than one million workers. Tenants’ associations, angry over rising rents and evictions, also joined.

Political pressure ahead of the election

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez hopes the November 29 election will let him ease voters’ discontent over housing, while shifting the political narrative away from corruption cases involving his inner circle and a deadly train crash last month. However, his Socialist Party still trails in opinion polls.

Although the unions called the strike a success, participation was uneven across the country. Support was strongest in coastal regions, where housing problems are especially acute.

Shops closed

On Madrid’s Gran Vía, one of the capital’s main shopping streets, protesters gathered outside stores such as Primark, H&M and Pull & Bear. The stores lowered their shutters amid a heavy police presence. Protesters raised house keys above their heads and chanted “We will close Mango.” In Barcelona, many shops also closed and boarded up their windows in anticipation of unrest.

The scale of the housing crisis

According to the Bank of Spain, the country has a shortage of about 750,000 homes, a figure expected to exceed one million by 2028. As the number of people able to buy has fallen, rents have risen sharply. According to the Spanish Youth Council, the average rent of 1,176 euros ($1,315) equals about 98.7% of a young person’s average monthly salary.

“I’m 36 and I still can’t move out on my own,” said Jesús González, a Madrid resident who works in a hospital IT department and supports the strike. “Rents and house prices keep rising, and it’s just not possible.”

Strongest participation in ports and car factories

According to UGT and CCOO, participation reached 90% in ports and the automotive sector, with “complete stoppages” reported at Volkswagen and SEAT plants in Navarre and Barcelona. Grid operator Red Eléctrica said electricity demand fell by up to 15.5% between 10 and 11 a.m.

The Tenants’ Union expects the number of strikers to reach 5 million by the end of the day. According to the National Statistics Institute, Spain has about 23 million workers.

Barcelona’s metro said no trains would run outside peak hours, while Madrid’s metro said peak-hour usage fell 42% compared with the same period last week.

Business lobby criticizes the strike

Angela de Miguel, vice president of CEOE, Spain’s main business lobby, said the strike was counterproductive. According to her, small businesses also suffer from the housing crisis, because the shortage of homes makes hiring harder. Speaking on state broadcaster TVE, she said the solution is to build more homes and cut taxes on construction and home purchases.

Economic impact may be limited

Miguel Cardoso, chief economist at BBVA Research, noted that growing remote work and the larger share of services in the economy make the strike’s impact less noticeable than in previous years. He estimated it could reduce Spain’s annual GDP by 0.1%-0.2%. Unions are less present in the fast-growing hospitality and financial sectors than in the public and industrial sectors.

Storms and police intervention

Two powerful storms, Charles and Bruna, disrupted mass marches planned for the afternoon. The unions called off the demonstration in the southern port city of Cádiz.

Police said that by midday there had been 476 incidents linked to the general strike, with 40 people arrested. They included the blockading of offices and industrial areas and the burning of trash containers. The unions said police used tear gas and batons, leaving 20 protesters injured, and that they will file a criminal complaint over what they called a “disproportionate” response.

The road to the strike

The strike followed weeks of protests that began with the eviction, and subsequent death, of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid. Together with parliament’s rejection last month of the government’s decree aimed at preventing evictions and curbing rental pressures, these protests prompted Sánchez to call a snap election.