Overview
- CCOO and UGT launched a 24-hour general strike that begins at midnight on Wednesday, Nov. 11, calling workers out to demand faster state action on housing, pay and prices.
- Authorities and carriers warned of broad disruption to flights, Renfe high-speed and local trains, metros and buses, and the US and UK missions advised travellers to expect minimum services and last-minute closures.
- Unions and housing activists want measures such as limits on tourist flats, stronger renter protections including automatic lease renewals, and tighter rules on real-estate speculation.
- The walkout comes less than three weeks before a snap Nov. 29 election and follows a wave of protests over the televised eviction of an 87-year-old tenant and a deadly early-November train crash that reshaped the political debate.
- Longer-term pressures help explain the unrest because the Bank of Spain estimates a shortfall of about 750,000 homes and average rents now rival young workers’ pay, leaving many unable to afford independent housing.