Spain holds first general strike in 14 years over housing crisis

Spanish workers staged a general strike Wednesday (local time) for the first time in 14 years, driven by anger over the country's deepening housing crisis, according to Reuters and EFE.

Spain's two largest labor unions — the General Union of Workers (UGT) and the Workers' Commissions (CCOO) — along with other labor groups and tenants' associations launched the strike at midnight, voicing anger over soaring rents and home purchase costs. Union leaders said about 4 million of Spain's roughly 22 million workers took part, with participation exceeding 80 percent in Catalonia and Andalusia.

Ports and the automotive sector saw participation rates above 90 percent, halting operations at harbors across the country and at the Seat factory in Barcelona, unions said. The meat industry, waste collection and energy sectors also reported high participation, ranging from 70 to 80 percent.

State rail operator Renfe said 24 percent of high-speed and long-distance trains were canceled, along with 10.2 percent of commuter and medium-distance services. About 5.8 percent of flights were scrapped, and traffic in Madrid fell 13 percent. Barcelona's metro and city buses suspended service outside rush hours. Grid operator Red Eléctrica said electricity consumption dropped as much as 15.5 percent between 10 and 11 a.m.

The Spanish Confederation of Employers' Organizations (CEOE), however, said most workplaces operated normally, citing participation rates of 10 percent in Madrid and 5 percent in Castilla-La Mancha.

Authorities arrested at least 52 people in connection with the strike and protests by 5 p.m. Wednesday (local time). Tensions flared in the morning when police fired pepper spray at about 1,000 demonstrators who had gathered at Mercamadrid, a major wholesale market in the capital, and detained one protester.

Rallies against the housing crisis and high prices were held across the country that evening. Despite stormy weather — with strong winds and heavy rain prompting weather warnings across most of the country — authorities estimated 120,000 people gathered in Madrid alone.

Alicia del Rio, a spokesperson for the Madrid Tenants' Union, said at the start of the strike: "We will keep fighting until we fundamentally change the housing policy model so that housing becomes a place where people live, not a money-making tool for a handful of landlords."

Spain's central bank says the country's housing shortfall, currently around 750,000 units, is projected to exceed 1 million units by 2028.

As rising home prices push more buyers out of the market, demand for rental housing has surged, adding further strain to the rental market. Average monthly rent in Spain stands at 1,176 euros ($1,310), according to the Spanish Youth Council — equivalent to 98.7 percent of the average monthly take-home pay for young workers.

The general strike came just over two weeks before a snap general election scheduled for Nov. 29.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the early election after weeks of nationwide protests and sit-ins pushed his government into crisis. The unrest was sparked by the forced eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid who could no longer afford her rent. The decision came after parliament rejected emergency legislation his government had proposed to curb evictions and ease pressure on rents.

His center-left coalition is widely expected to lose the election, a prospect compounded last week by a high-speed rail disaster that killed 69 people.

Wednesday also saw train drivers walk off the job to demand greater investment in railway maintenance and safety, causing widespread disruptions to rail services across Spain.

The strike was also seen as a gauge of Sanchez's political standing ahead of the snap election he called by riding public anger over the housing crisis. Cabinet ministers from the left-wing coalition government publicly backed the strike and urged respect for workers' right to strike. Business groups and the far right, by contrast, criticized the action as politically motivated.