Spain General Strike: Barcelona Clashes Erupt Amid Growing Housing Crisis
Spain slowed to a crawl on Wednesday when workers walked out in the country’s first general strike in 14 years. The two biggest unions, UGT (Unión General de Trabajadores) and CCOO (Comisiones Obreras), called the action over the rising price of housing. The day began calmly enough, but the evening told a different story. They say roughly four million people joined, which is about one in every five workers. Even though two heavy storms swept in, the marches still went ahead in Madrid, Barcelona and other cities.
Trouble started in Barcelona near Passeig de Gràcia, a short walk from Plaça de Catalunya. Masked groups lit rubbish bins on fire, some protesters also fired fireworks at officers and smashed shop windows and the police answered with tear gas. Madrid saw its own tense moments, with riot police using foam bullets and pepper spray near Plaza de España. Police logged at least 73 arrests across the country from more than 1,000 such incidents. However, many marchers described the atmosphere as peaceful, with children and older people among the crowds.
How an 87-Year-Old’s Eviction Pushed Renters Into the Streets
The spark that ignited these strikes was the eviction of Maricarmen Abascal from the Madrid flat she had called home for seven decades. Her new landlords had tripled her rent, and she died in hospital a few weeks after she was forced out. A volunteer with a local tenants’ group knew her personally and called the eviction the small fire that lit everything else. Weeks of street protests followed, and the unions saw a chance to widen the movement into a full strike.
Her case landed hard because so many renters recognized the math. A 50-square-metre flat in Madrid cost about €1,170 (approx $1,298 USD) a month in October. Spain’s average gross monthly salary is only around €2,460 (approx $2,728 USD), so rent swallows nearly half of it. Housing experts generally say rent should stay under 30% of income. For young workers the picture is still concerning, since average rent is close to a full month’s pay, based on figures from the Youth Council of Spain.
Strike Meets Snap Election as Parties Trade Blame
The general strike walkout bit deepest in industry and transport, where unions claim 90% participation at ports and carmakers. Volkswagen’s plant in Navarre and SEAT’s factory in Barcelona reported total stoppages. Electricity demand dropped by as much as 15.5% in the mid-morning hours and peak-hour use on Madrid’s metro fell 42%. Though, remote work and a bigger services sector softened the impact. BBVA Research estimates the strike may shave between 0.1% and 0.2% off annual economic output. Politics gave the day extra edge, because voters go to the polls on November 29 as Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called for the snap elections after parliament rejected his government’s measures on evictions and rents. His ministers openly backed the strike.
Opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo called it nonsense and insulted the unions, and his People’s Party leads in the polls. Business groups also argue the strike is political rather than about labour and rising costs. Meanwhile, the unions plan a criminal complaint over a police operation that injured 20 protesters. Ultimately, this strike shows that housing has stopped being a background expense in Spain and become a force strong enough to halt cities. The country is short of about 750,000 homes, and that gap is expected to pass one million by 2028. Relief for renters therefore looks distant. The November 29 vote will reveal whether public anger reshapes the political map. Whoever forms the next government will face voters, who have shown they will march over rent and other seemingly normal yet concerning matters due to rising costs.
Web Resources on Spain housing crisis
1. BBC : Clashes erupt in Barcelona after thousands join Spain general strike.
2. Reuters : Millions of Spaniards stage first general strike in 14 years as anger over housing leads to clashes.
3. CNN : Violence erupts amid general strike in Spain.
4. Euro News : Spain: Clashes erupt in Barcelona after peaceful general strike march.