Millions of Spanish Workers Launch General Strike Over Housing Crisis

MADRID, Nov 11 (OPA) — The strike brought significant disruptions to the eurozone's fourth-largest economy, with public transport halting in Barcelona and suffering severe delays in Madrid amid heavy morning rains. Schools and universities closed or operated at minimal capacity, while strategic industries saw massive walkouts. The two main unions, UGT and CCOO, reported participation rates reaching 90% in the automotive and port sectors, 85% in the meat industry, 82% in waste collection, and 75% in the energy sector.

Demonstrations were sparked by mounting public anger over housing affordability, fueled by the nationally televised eviction and subsequent death of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid last month. Average rents across Spain have nearly doubled over the past decade. Activists and unions are demanding the elimination of tourist apartments, measures against real estate speculation, automatic lease renewals, and increased state intervention in the housing market.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the snap election for Oct. 5 after right-wing parties in Parliament rejected emergency government decrees designed to limit evictions and assist tenants. The political stakes are high for Sánchez's left-wing coalition, which trails in recent polls and faces additional political fallout from a recent high-speed train collision that killed 69 people.

Opposition parties, including the conservative Popular Party and the far-right Vox, criticized the walkout as a politically motivated maneuver to assist Sánchez's campaign. On Thursday, the government will attempt to have a reduced interim Parliament ratify the contested housing decrees as labor leaders and political analysts watch to see how the mobilization influences voter turnout ahead of the election.