Spain holds first general strike in 14 years as housing anger spills over before snap election

Workers across Spain walked off the job on Wednesday in the country's first general strike in 14 years, in protest over soaring rents, evictions and a housing shortage that has become the central issue ahead of a snap national election on 29 November.

The 24-hour strike was called jointly by the country's two biggest unions, UGT and CCOO, with backing from tenants' groups and other labour organisations. Public transport was disrupted and many factories, shops and businesses closed or cut back operations.

Participation and clashes

According to union figures released early in the day, stoppages reached about 90% in ports and the automotive sector, with production halted at Volkswagen in Navarre and SEAT in Barcelona. Unions also reported high participation in the meat industry, waste collection and energy, and lower turnout in healthcare and postal services. The government did not give its own figures in the reports.

Scuffles broke out between pickets and police at Madrid's main wholesale market, Mercamadrid, and burning tyres were used to block roads in Barcelona. CCOO Madrid said police used pepper spray and that 13 people needed medical attention. Police confirmed one arrest but said pepper spray was used to disperse a different picket line, the Irish Times reported.

Roots of the crisis

The protest wave grew after the eviction in September of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid, who died a few days later. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the early election after parliament rejected his minority government's measures to curb evictions and limit rent increases.

Average rents have nearly doubled in a decade. Spain's Youth Council says the average rent now equals almost the entire monthly income of a typical young person, far above the 30% share experts usually recommend. The country has a shortfall of about 750,000 homes, which the central bank expects to top one million by 2028.

Political reaction

Sanchez said the strike was not aimed at anyone and described it as a call for a coordinated response. His government has largely blamed opposition-run regional and city administrations for the shortage. Business groups called the strike an election-related protest, and opposition leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo of the conservative Popular Party called it a serious mistake. Polls show Sanchez's Socialists trailing.

Housing affordability is a pressure point in many big economies, including Indian cities, and the Spanish vote will be watched as a test of how far the issue can reshape national politics.