Spain’s largest unions are preparing for a 24-hour general strike to protest the country’s deepening housing crisis. With support from tenant groups and smaller unions, the move signals a rare show of unity and could disrupt daily life ahead of national elections.
Union leaders in Spain have set the stage for a major showdown. CC OO and UGT, the country’s two biggest unions, are backing a general strike. It’s their first joint action of this size since 2010. The reason: a housing crisis that has forced thousands out of their homes and made affordable rents a distant dream for many workers.
Calls for a 24-hour walkout grew louder after mass protests swept through Spanish cities. Demonstrators demanded action on rising rents and stagnant pay. Both unions, each with about a million members, say this strike is about more than wages. It’s about the right to a decent home. Their joint statement is blunt: “We demand decent wages to access decent housing.” Union officials say the final green light still needs approval from the top bodies of both CCOO and UGT. The strike date will be set together with the tenants' union and other social groups.
This is the first general strike jointly supported by CCOO and UGT since 2012, highlighting the exceptional nature of the current crisis.
Support from the anarchist CGT and the Sindicato de Inquilinas was already on the table. But when CC OO and UGT joined, the protest shifted from the margins to the national stage. The Sindicato de Inquilinas had been pushing for a general strike for weeks. It was the main demand at last weekend’s rallies. CGT confirmed its support after its recent congress. The tenant group said it would go ahead with CGT alone if the big unions held back. By Monday afternoon, CC OO and UGT made their move public. The balance of power changed fast.
No date is set yet. Union sources point to early November as the likely window. They want the strike before the official campaign for the November 29 elections begins. The goal is clear. Unions want housing on the agenda before voters head to the polls. UGT General Secretary Pepe Álvarez said the action will happen before the campaign starts and will not overlap with it. That narrows the window for the strike.
Business leaders are not hiding their anger. CEOE and Cepyme, Spain’s main employer groups, put out a sharp statement. They call the strike a political move. They say housing policy is up to the government, not something that should stop business. “The issues behind this strike are not, in essence, of a labor nature,” their statement says. Employers are not calling the strike illegal, but they will review the details once the formal notice is filed. CEOE President Antonio Garamendi said the strike over housing does not fit the usual definition of a labor dispute. He also called the housing problem "real and complex."
Union demands extend beyond housing, including a call for wage increases of 4–7% with revision mechanisms, as part of stalled negotiations with employer associations. The unions are also pushing for a public housing pact, rent controls, a permanent fund of protected social housing, and full implementation of the right to housing law across all Spanish regions.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has kept his response measured. He points out that the right to strike is protected by Spain’s constitution. “We can only respect it,” Sánchez said. He admits housing is a problem for “many workers and their families.” The Ministry of Labor, led by Yolanda Díaz, echoed this. They called the strike a fair answer to a problem that hits workers hardest. Several Spanish media outlets report that the political climate changed after the Congress of Deputies rejected government housing decrees. That rejection pushed unions to ramp up pressure.
Political rivals see a different story. The Partido Popular claims the strike’s timing helps Sánchez. They say unions are trying to boost his image as the election nears. Vox calls the unions government puppets and labels the protest part of Sánchez’s “dystopian Spain.” Vox’s own union, Solidaridad, has not gained ground in Spanish workplaces. It signed just two agreements in 2025, while CC OO and UGT secured hundreds.
General strikes are rare in Spain. The last one, in October last year, was called by CGT to protest the Israeli assault on Gaza. It did not have support from the major unions. The last time CC OO and UGT backed a full general strike was in November 2012. That strike was against austerity during the Great Recession and was coordinated with unions in Italy, Portugal, Cyprus, and Malta. In the past forty years, Spain’s main unions have called only eight general strikes. This new move is a big escalation. Union sources say the list of demands is being set with the tenants' movement and neighborhood groups. The aim is to unite labor and social causes.
Spain now waits for a date. The stakes are high. Unions are betting that a massive walkout will force politicians to face a housing crisis that can’t be ignored. Employers brace for economic fallout. The government tries to balance rights and public order. The next few weeks will show if this rare alliance of workers and tenants can turn protest into policy. Or if Spain’s housing crisis will drag on as another election approaches. The size and timing of this strike send a message. Housing is now a test of political will and economic priorities in Spain.
