Spain is bracing for a nationwide 24-hour general strike over soaring rents and the rising cost of living, as mounting frustration over the country’s housing crisis threatens to deepen political tensions weeks before a crucial snap election.
The industrial action, scheduled to begin at midnight on Wednesday, November 11, was called by the country’s two largest trade unions, Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) and the General Union of Workers (UGT), under the slogan: “Wages, Housing, Prices.”
The strike marks the first time the two unions have jointly called a general strike since 2012, when Spain was battling a severe economic and austerity crisis.
The walkout is expected to disrupt transport, education, healthcare and other public services nationwide.
Airlines are anticipating cancellations and delays, while public transport networks in major cities will operate at reduced capacity. Schools, hospitals, shops and other essential services may also experience closures or reduced staffing though minimum service requirements will remain in place in critical sectors.
The strike comes amid growing public outrage over the housing crisis, particularly following the September eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her Madrid home.
Abascal, who had lived in the property for more than seven decades, was forcibly removed after its corporate landlord sought a substantial rent increase.
Images of the elderly woman being carried out on a stretcher triggered widespread anger, sparking demonstrations and protest encampments across the country. She has since died.
The incident became a rallying point for housing activists and intensified pressure on the government, contributing to a broader political crisis that culminated in the announcement of snap elections scheduled for November 29.
Political analyst Luke Stobart, who writes on social movements and politics in Spain, said Wednesday’s strike could force housing back to the centre of the national political debate, giving the issue greater prominence ahead of the elections.
He noted that Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has previously demonstrated a willingness to take political risks and could benefit from the strike drawing attention to the housing crisis rather than other controversies confronting his administration.
Spain’s housing shortage has become increasingly severe and according to the Bank of Spain, the country has approximately 750,000 fewer homes than it needs, with the deficit projected to exceed one million by 2028.
The shortage has contributed to a sharp increase in rental costs, with average monthly rents reaching €1,176, according to data compiled by the Spanish Youth Council. The figure is almost equivalent to the average monthly salary of a young Spanish worker, estimated at €1,190, leaving many young people with little disposable income after paying for accommodation.
Consequently, growing numbers of people are being forced into overcrowded shared apartments or prolonged stays with their parents, highlighting the widening gap between housing costs and earnings.
Spain’s predicament reflects a broader European problem, as rising living expenses, housing shortages and deteriorating living conditions continue to fuel protests across the continent.
Although Sanchez has stopped short of explicitly endorsing Wednesday’s industrial action, he has defended collective mobilisation as essential to protecting workers’ rights and preserving the country’s social achievements.
In a video message on Monday, the prime minister reminded Spaniards that fundamental social protections, including the eight-hour working day, pensions and public healthcare, were secured through collective struggles rather than granted by governments.
“Your eight-hour working day. Your pension. Your public healthcare. None of this fell from the sky. They were collective achievements. We will not let anyone take them away from us,” he said.
Sanchez is hoping to convince voters that his administration offers stronger social protections than its political opponents. However, his Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) is facing mounting political challenges, including criticism of its handling of the migration situation in Ceuta and a series of corruption scandals involving members of the prime minister’s inner circle and family.
The political pressure has also been compounded by a deadly train crash in early November, which killed 69 people and handed the opposition an opportunity to question the government’s record on public safety and infrastructure management.
The accident occurred on the same railway line as another fatal crash less than a year earlier, intensifying scrutiny of the country’s transport system. Transport Minister Oscar Puente, a senior PSOE figure and close ally of Sanchez, subsequently resigned.
The conservative Popular Party (PP) and far-right Vox have seized on the crisis, accusing the government of incompetence and questioning its ability to manage essential public infrastructure.
With the PP leading in opinion polls, the party could form a coalition government with Vox, potentially bringing the far-right into Spain’s national government for the first time since the end of Francisco Franco’s dictatorship in 1975.
Both opposition parties have dismissed the planned general strike as politically motivated, accusing the unions of attempting to influence the electoral contest against them.
They have also criticised its timing, coming just a day after the state funeral for victims of the train disaster.
However, the labour dispute is not entirely centred on support for the Sanchez administration.
According to Stobart, the strike has several political dimensions, with different left-wing groups interpreting the housing crisis and the government’s response from varying perspectives.
Several regional and smaller trade unions, including the Basque organisations ELA and LAB, Galicia’s CIG and Spain’s CGT, have criticised both regional and national authorities for failing to address housing speculation and the growing influence of investment interests in the property market.
Stobart warned that the unions and the government might struggle to control the political narrative surrounding the demonstrations, particularly if public anger extends beyond housing and wages to broader dissatisfaction with governance.
He cautioned that the strike could develop into a wider wave of social unrest similar to those witnessed in France and Italy, potentially creating further political difficulties for Sanchez rather than strengthening his government’s position.
