Follow-Up: Spain's First General Strike in 14 Years Under Way; Unions Say Early Turnout Reached 90% in Ports and Auto Plants
Spain began a 24-hour nationwide general strike on November 11, the country's first general strike jointly backed by its two largest unions, the CCOO and the UGT, in 14 years. The stoppage began at midnight, with demands centred on the housing crisis, higher wages and the rising cost of living; the confederation of tenants' unions and other labour organisations also backed the call.
The unions said participation in the first hours reached 90% in ports and car manufacturing, with Volkswagen's plant in Navarra and SEAT's plant in Barcelona fully stopped; they put turnout at 85% in meat processing, 82% in waste collection, 75% in energy, 38% in health and social services and 35% in postal services. The figures are the unions' own.
Around 1,000 pickets gathered outside the Mercamadrid wholesale market in Madrid, where tensions flared. The CCOO's Madrid branch said police used pepper spray on pickets, that one person was detained and that 13 needed medical attention; a police spokesperson confirmed the detention and said pepper spray had been used to disperse another picket in the Carabanchel district. In Catalonia, access roads to the Mercabarna market were blocked and traffic was disrupted on several roads around Barcelona.
The strike follows weeks of protests sparked by the eviction of an 87-year-old woman, Maricarmen, in Madrid and her subsequent death: protesters camped in Puerta del Sol, and parliament then rejected government housing decrees aimed at curbing evictions and rent pressure. The Bank of Spain estimates a housing shortfall of about 750,000 homes, expected to exceed one million by 2028; figures from Spain's Youth Council put average monthly rent at 1,176 euros, roughly 98.7% of a young person's average monthly salary.
Marches were planned across the country for the afternoon, with Madrid's main demonstration set to leave Atocha at 6 p.m. Two storms, named Charles and Bruna, brought severe weather, and the AEMET weather agency issued warnings for strong winds, heavy seas and intense rain in 14 autonomous communities. Train drivers had already struck for a day on November 10, demanding more investment in maintenance and safety.
The strike comes less than three weeks before a snap general election on November 29, with official campaigning due to begin on November 13. (Source: Reuters)
Source: Reuters
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：西班牙首都 Madrid 的 Puerta del Sol 广场（资料图），本次总罢工的抗议者此前曾在此扎营。照片：Tomás Fano 摄，CC BY-SA 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Puerta del Sol square in Madrid, Spain (file photo), where protesters camped ahead of the general strike. Photo by Tomás Fano, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
