Millions of Spanish Workers Strike Over Housing Crisis

Millions of Spanish workers launched a nationwide general strike on November 11, 2026, marking the first joint action by the country's two largest unions, CCOO and UGT, since 2012. The mobilization focused on soaring rents, stagnant wages, and a severe housing shortage that the Bank of Spain estimates could reach 1 million homes by next year. The unrest was catalyzed by the forced eviction and subsequent death of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal in Madrid.

Pedro Sánchez, the Socialist Prime Minister, called for snap elections on November 29 after parliament rejected his government's emergency tenant protection decrees. While Sánchez praised collective action as the source of Spain's social rights, the conservative Popular Party and far-right Vox dismissed the strike as an "electoral strike" designed to benefit the government. Opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo called the timing a "serious mistake," noting it followed a rail disaster that killed 69 people.

The strike caused significant disruptions across the automotive, port, and energy sectors, with total stoppages at Seat and Volkswagen plants. Renfe canceled approximately 24% of high-speed trains. In Madrid and Barcelona, protests turned violent in some areas, involving roadblocks, arson, and clashes with riot police at sites such as the Mercamadrid wholesale market and Barcelona's Paseo de Gracia.