Spain’s two biggest unions, CCOO and UGT, have agreed to call a 24-hour general strike demanding higher wages to address the country’s deepening housing crisis. The move comes as political uncertainty grows ahead of early elections.
Union leaders from CCOO and UGT have ended weeks of silence. They now back a 24-hour general strike. Their demand is simple: higher wages so working people can afford a place to live. This is the first time in more than ten years that Spain faces a nationwide strike not tied to a single workplace dispute. The focus is the cost of living. Reports from Democrata and AFP confirm the unions made their intentions public on October 5. But the final green light and the strike date still need approval from the unions' top committees and coordination with housing groups.
On Monday, union leaders sealed the deal. They responded to pressure from the Sindicato de Inquilinas and other housing activists. These groups have pushed for a full-scale strike, saying it is the only way to force politicians and business leaders to act on soaring rents and flat wages. The Sindicato de Inquilinas, a key voice in tenant protests, stressed that the strike date will be set together with CCOO and UGT. Housing movements now have real sway over union priorities.
According to AFP citing Idealista, average rents in Spain have nearly doubled over the past decade, with asking prices for housing rising by about 90%.
CCOO and UGT spelled out their goal in a joint statement: “The general strike challenges public administrations responsible for housing and calls on employers to accept that wages must guarantee access to a basic good like housing.” The unions want workers to take action at work and in the streets. They promise to keep up the fight “until housing stops being a privilege and salaries allow people to live with dignity.” Their official stance, posted on the CCOO website, goes further than just the strike. They want rent controls, a permanent social housing fund, and full enforcement of the right to housing law.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called snap elections for November 29 just days ago. That move has thrown Spanish politics into chaos. The unions’ decision comes after a stretch of doubt and legal worries. Spanish law bans strikes called only for political reasons. The employers’ group CEOE has pointed this out. To avoid legal trouble, CCOO and UGT say the strike is about the direct link between low wages and unaffordable housing. They point to stalled collective bargaining and the ongoing “conflict of rents.”
CCOO and UGT are key. Without them, a strike would have little economic bite. The Sindicato de Inquilinas and CGT had already announced their own 24-hour action. But only the big unions can disrupt Spain’s main industries. The last general strike by CCOO and UGT was in 2012. Back then, they fought austerity and labor reforms under Mariano Rajoy. Things are different now. Spain leads the EU in growth and jobs. Still, the housing crisis and inflation have eaten away at paychecks. The political future is up in the air.
The immediate trigger for the strike was the Spanish parliament's rejection on October 2 of government decrees that would have automatically extended rental contracts and limited evictions of vulnerable tenants. Mass protests erupted in Madrid and other cities the following day, highlighting the urgency of the housing crisis.
As reported earlier, the housing crisis now sits at the center of Spanish politics. Lawmakers are stuck. Public anger is rising. The unions’ call for a general strike marks a new stage in the fight between labor, government, and business over who pays for Spain’s housing emergency.
By tying the right to housing to wage talks, CCOO and UGT are forcing the issue onto the national stage. Politicians are distracted by the coming election. This is more than a protest. The unions are betting that their organizing power and public frustration will force real change. Will it work? No one knows yet. But the unions say they will not back down until the link between wages and housing is tackled directly. In Spain, where living costs have outpaced wages for years, this strike could test whether the country’s social contract still holds. The stakes are high.
