Spain’s first general strike in 14 years disrupts transport

Millions of workers struck across Spain on Wednesday, disrupting public transport and slowing factories as unions demanded government action on a housing crisis that has sent rents sharply higher. The 24-hour walkout, described by Al Jazeera as the country’s first general strike in 14 years, began at midnight.

In Barcelona, striking workers set off fireworks as they gathered in public squares, NPR reported. By the morning rush, public transport in the city was at a standstill or facing long delays. Madrid’s buses were heavily affected, while many schools and universities closed or operated at minimal capacity. Marches were planned in Madrid, Barcelona and other cities.

The two unions calling for the walkout, UGT and CCOO, reported “significant work stoppages in strategic sectors.” They put participation at 90% in the automotive and port sectors. NPR reported union figures of 85% in the meat industry, 82% in waste collection and 75% in energy. Al Jazeera reported that businesses, factories and shops scaled back operations or closed.

Minor incidents in the strike’s first hours included roadblocks, some with burning tires, in Barcelona and scuffles between picketers and police near Madrid’s main wholesale market.

Housing is at the center of the protest. Average rent in Spain has almost doubled over the past decade. “There is one issue that is dividing the country: the struggle to access housing,” CCOO leader Unai Sordo said on Cadena Ser radio. Sandra Mora, a Tenants’ Union spokesperson, told RNE that workers — including those who rent or pay mortgages — have the power to “halt production and bring the economy to a standstill.”

Housing activists called for the strike after the eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid known as Maricarmen, whose subsequent death intensified public anger, according to NPR. UGT and CCOO backed the activists’ call. The activists want tourist apartments eliminated, a crackdown on property speculation and automatic lease renewals for renters. NPR reported that the unions are demanding greater government intervention in housing and a new minimum wage agreement through talks with the business owners’ association.

The costs are steep for renters. Al Jazeera reported that Spain’s average gross monthly salary is about 2,460 euros, while a 50-square-meter Madrid apartment cost an average of 1,170 euros a month to rent in October, citing property portal Idealista. That rent amounts to 98.7% of the average young person’s income, according to the Youth Council of Spain.

The strike comes less than three weeks before a national election. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government failed to win parliamentary approval for housing measures proposed after the protests. NPR reported that the government plans another attempt to ratify two housing decrees on Thursday.

“This is not a strike against anyone,” Sánchez told La Vanguardia, calling instead for a common response from all levels of government to the problem of access to housing. Opposition parties say the strike is intended to help him politically. “This strike is not a general strike; it is an electoral strike,” Popular Party spokesperson Miguel Tellado said.