Union leaders have set November 11 for a general strike over soaring housing costs and the difficulty ordinary people face in finding a place to live. It will be the first general strike with full backing from Spain’s biggest unions in 14 years, and the date falls just before the national election campaign begins.
Frustration with the government’s handling of the property market has intensified. The union groups leading the protest have confirmed the strike, joined by regional unions, including Galicia’s CIG. In the Basque Country, ELA and LAB have also signed on. The tenants’ group Sindicato de Inquilinas plans to announce its position later today. The Bank of Spain estimates the country faces a housing shortage of around 750,000 units, which could reach 1 million by 2028 and intensify price pressures, especially in major cities.
The strike falls on a Wednesday, less than three weeks before voters go to the polls and just hours before the official campaign period begins. Business groups CEOE and Cepyme have criticized the strike, arguing that housing is not a labor issue. They called it “inadmissible” to put the cost of political pressure on businesses and the economy.
Political parties have also weighed in. The Partido Popular and Vox have sharply criticized the unions, while Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has responded cautiously. He said, “There will be a general strike over an issue that I believe affects many workers, women and men, and their families: access to housing. So, the only thing the government can do is respect that constitutional right.”
Spain has not seen a general strike like this since November 14, 2012, when unions protested austerity after the Great Recession. That strike was part of a wave across southern Europe, including Italy and Portugal, as well as Cyprus and Malta. Earlier in 2012, CC OO and UGT led another strike against labor reforms under Mariano Rajoy’s government, which made it easier for employers to fire workers.
General strikes have marked turning points in Spain’s recent history. The December 14, 1988 strike under Felipe González set the tone, followed by walkouts in 1992 and 1994, then in 2002 and 2010. The November strike will be the ninth nationwide walkout organized jointly by CC OO and UGT. Spain’s social housing accounts for about 1.7% of the total housing stock, one of the lowest rates in the European Union, information from the Bank of Spain. The shortfall exacerbates the crisis for vulnerable groups.
Housing is now a political flashpoint. Unions and advocacy groups say the government’s response has failed families. The strike’s timing is deliberate: it could unsettle the political scene or widen the divide between labor and business, leaving the government in the middle.
Warnings about Spain’s fragile rental market have grown louder. A previous investigation into landlords threatening a rental freeze added to the urgency. The November 11 strike is scheduled, while its effect on housing policy and pre-election tensions has yet to be determined.
The unions are challenging both the government and business leaders, and the outcome will test the country’s political will and social contract. Their willingness to risk economic fallout weeks before a national vote reflects the depth of frustration over the housing crisis and the belief that the status quo is no longer an option.
