France 24 described the Nov. 11 walkout as Spain’s first general strike in 14 years, with unions and housing groups organizing around wages and housing costs.
The campaign slogan put pay and housing costs at the center of the action: “Salaries. Housing. Prices.”
UGT registered the 24-hour stoppage with Comisiones Obreras (CCOO), other unions and tenant organizations at the Labor Ministry on Oct. 19. It has tied its broader campaign to housing costs, pay and workplace protections, while asking for a minimum-wage increase of at least 7% in 2027. EconoTimes previously covered UGT’s demands and Portuguese unions’ deliberations about joining the walkout. UGT says workers who strike lose pay for the hours they miss.
The Bank of Spain’s annual report put the housing shortfall across 2021-25 at about 750,000 homes, linking it to household formation outpacing completed homes. EconoTimes previously examined the housing shortfall estimate.
Spain’s formal election campaign begins Nov. 13, ahead of the Nov. 29 vote.
