Spanish labor unions and housing collectives launched a nationwide general strike on Wednesday to protest soaring rental costs and displacement.
This rare, politically charged mobilization arrives less than three weeks before the November 29 legislative elections, testing the government’s housing policies and public sentiment. Preliminary data from the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI), a Brussels-based research center, suggests that 2025 was the most strike-heavy year in the European Union since 1991.
The movement, which paralyzed key infrastructure including the container terminals at the Port of Algeciras, stems from a grassroots push rather than traditional collective bargaining. While major unions like the Workers’ Commissions (CCOO) and the General Union of Workers (UGT) joined the call, the initial momentum originated from the Sindicato de Inquilinas, a housing advocacy collective.
Their demands are stark: they are calling for the seizure of vacant third-home properties to convert them into social housing, a measure they equate to opening a hospital during a pandemic, as reported by franceinfo. Alicia del Río, spokesperson for the collective, stated, “A vacant home, in the context of a housing crisis, is like a hospital closed in the middle of a pandemic.”
A Political Barometer Ahead of Elections
With the November 29 elections fast approaching, the protest is functioning as a gauge for social discontent. Describing the atmosphere, tens of thousands of people marched in Madrid on Wednesday following the general strike to defend the right to housing and purchasing power.
Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the leader of the conservative People’s Party and the current favorite in polling, condemned the action, stating, “It’s a strike against the opposition, we’ve never seen that before,” as noted by Les Echos.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has adopted a different posture, positioning his administration as an ally to the protesters.
On Monday, Sánchez issued a call to mobilization on X, claiming social conquests while warning that what was gained through a century of struggle “can be lost in an instant” through “shears and a chainsaw.” Antonio Garamendi, head of the Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations (CEOE), dismissed the legitimacy of the labor action, characterizing it as an “electoral strike” rather than a traditional industrial dispute.
Spain Faces Potential Losses from General Strike
This mobilization is the first major general strike in Spain since 2012, an era defined by a severe economic recession and reforms that weakened labor power. According to data from the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI), Spain could face losses of approximately €930 million from a single day of broad industrial action, based on the country’s daily economic output of roughly €4.6 billion.
For perspective, the Bank of France estimated that strikes against pension reforms in March and April 2023 reduced French growth by approximately 0.1 percentage points in the first quarter of that year. Research from the WSI in Germany indicates that approximately 645,000 days were lost to strikes in 2025 in an economy nearly seven times larger than Belgium’s.
| Country | Estimated Daily Strike Cost |
|---|---|
| France | ~€1.6 billion |
| Italy | ~€1.2 billion |
| Spain | ~€930 million |
| Belgium | ~€350 million |
Unlike other European nations that rely on standard economic reporting, Spanish authorities have historically used electricity consumption data from the national grid operator, Red Eléctrica, to measure the scale of general strikes. During the 2012 protest, the Interior Ministry noted an 11.4% drop in power demand, providing a precise, if unconventional, metric for participation, as reported by Euronews.
The Human Cost of the Housing Crisis
Beyond the macro-economic metrics, the movement is fueled by local stories of displacement in neighborhoods like Madrid’s Lavapiés. The surge in protests follows the death of an 87-year-old woman who passed away in the hospital after being evicted from her home, an incident that became a rallying cry for the Sindicato de Inquilinas.
“There are people who tell us: ‘I cannot participate because I have to work, otherwise I don’t eat.’ So we tell them: ‘You can participate in a consumption strike and not buy anything at the supermarket on Wednesday’,” said Marisa, a retiree and activist, to franceinfo.
As the country approaches the November 29 election, the effectiveness of this movement remains an open question.
Earlier coverage: Millions Protest in Spain During Major General Strike for Housing Rights
