Spain Disrupted by First General Strike in 14 Years Over Housing Costs

Transport and public services across Spain experienced major disruptions on Wednesday as the country held its first general strike in 14 years. Called by major labor unions over rising living costs and a lack of affordable housing, the nationwide action took place just over two weeks ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for November 29.

Major industrial hubs, including Madrid and the northeastern region of Catalonia, saw significant travel disruption with traffic halted on several key roads. Demonstrations were organized across the country, with the largest gatherings planned in Madrid and Barcelona. Spain's interior ministry reported that dozens of people were arrested for various incidents, while Spanish media reported attacks on several estate agency offices. In the northern city of Gijon, protesters set tyres on fire.

DIVIDED VIEWS ON TURN PARTICIPATION

Labor union leaders praised the turnout, with UGT head Pepe Álvarez declaring the strike a success featuring "massive" participation, and Unai Sordo of the CC OO union describing turnout as "very significant." Conversely, the Spanish Confederation of Business Organisations (CEOE) characterized participation as "low and uneven" across sectors and regions. CEOE vice-president Miguel Garrido criticized the walkout, stating that businesses were not responsible for housing prices and arguing that the strike was driven by political motives tied to the upcoming election rather than labor issues.

Data from national grid operator Red Eléctrica showed electricity demand in Spain fell by 7.5% during the early hours of Wednesday, an indicator of industrial activity during strikes. By comparison, power consumption dropped by more than 15% during Spain's last general strike in 2012 under former conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

HOUSING CRISIS AND POLITICAL FALLOUT

The strike follows growing public outrage over living costs and affordable housing, which intensified after the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her Madrid apartment of seven decades following a rent increase. She died in the hospital weeks later. According to property portal Idealista, the average monthly rent for a 50-square-meter apartment in Madrid reached €1,170 in October, taking nearly half of Spain's average gross monthly salary of approximately €2,460. Housing experts and public institutions generally recommend that housing costs should not exceed 30% of income.

Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called early elections last month after parliament rejected his housing reform plan. In a departure from typical government responses to industrial action, Sánchez and his ministers supported the walkout, with Sánchez defending workers' rights to strike on national television and social media.

The opposition conservative People's Party (PP), which is currently leading in opinion polls, condemned the strike. PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo called the strike "nonsense" and criticized the unions, while PP spokesman Miguel Tellado accused the government of exploiting the action for electoral gain to prevent the formation of a right-wing government.