Spain holds first general strike in 14 years over housing and living costs
Spain held a 24-hour general strike on 11 November 2026, called by the country's largest trade unions. Protesters are demanding higher wages, affordable housing and price controls.
Author: Thames Compass editorial teamPublished: 2 min read
Contents
Spanish trade unions held a 24-hour general strike on 11 November 2026. Polish media reports say protests were planned in almost 130 cities. Demonstrators are calling for higher wages, affordable housing and price controls during a period of high inflation.
The BBC, in its video description, says thousands of people protested across Spain over the housing crisis and the high cost of living. It is the first nationwide general strike in Spain in 14 years.
Who is behind the strike
The strike was called by the two largest trade union confederations in Spain, UGT and Comisiones Obreras (CC.OO.). Together they represent more than 2 million members. Social organisations also joined the protest, including tenants' unions that have been organising demonstrations in many cities for several weeks.
Background: eviction and the housing crisis
The protests intensified after 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal was evicted from a flat in Madrid that she had lived in for 70 years. Demonstrations broke out in many cities after 23 September 2026. Nine days later, parliament rejected two government proposals that would have strengthened tenant protections and limited rent increases. The Bank of Spain estimates that the country is short of around 750,000 homes.
The election backdrop
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called early parliamentary elections, which according to reports will take place on 29 November 2026. The strike therefore came a few weeks before the vote. According to a CIS survey, housing is the problem most often cited in the country, and parties in the governing left-wing coalition are losing ground in opinion polls.
How the strike unfolded
The strike began overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday. Official figures for the number of participants on 11 November are not given in the sources. Earlier demonstrations in Barcelona and Madrid drew estimates ranging from several thousand to tens of thousands, and organisers and city authorities gave different numbers.
Sources
- Spain comes to a standstill. First general strike in 14 years
- Spain: a 24-hour general strike began overnight, just before the elections
- Housing crisis in Spain. Protest in Barcelona ends in riots
- Protests in Spain against the housing crisis. Riots in Barcelona
- Protesters gather in Spain for first general strike in 14 years
This article was prepared automatically by AI from the listed sources and published without prior editorial review. Spotted a mistake? Use the “Report an error in this article” button.
Photos
- Cover: „women, manifestation, protest, youth, spirit”, author: Antonio_Cansino, licence Pixabay Content License; cropped or resized.
- Photo 1: „people, woman, rally, protest, unite”, author: StockSnap, licence Pixabay Content License; cropped or resized.
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