Barcelona: Millions of workers in Spain are going on strike on Wednesday to demand that the government address the country's housing crisis, less than three weeks before a national election that could bring the far right to power.
Spain's first general strike in 14 years is expected to disrupt the widely used public transport system and force businesses, factories and shops across the eurozone's fourth-largest economy to slow down or shut their doors.
Minor incidents were reported in the early hours, including roadblocks – some involving burning tyres – in Barcelona, the country's second-largest city, and clashes between picketers and police near the country's main wholesale market on the outskirts of Madrid. Striking workers set off fireworks at midnight as they gathered in public squares in Barcelona.
The two main unions behind the strike, UGT and CCOO, reported widespread participation in the early hours, with “significant work stoppages in strategic sectors”. They reported participation of 90 per cent in the automotive and port sectors, 85 per cent in the meat industry, 82 per cent in waste collection and 75 per cent in the energy sector, according to a statement posted on social media.
Workers and activists want more government action on housing
The average rent in Spain has almost doubled in the last 10 years, eating into household budgets and angering voters.
Public anger over housing reached a boiling point following the nationally televised eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her home in Madrid last month. The subsequent death of Maricarmen, as the woman became known, sparked further outrage and made her a symbol of Spaniards who feel they pay too much in rent and cannot even dream of owning a home.
Housing activists used the uproar over the eviction to call for a general strike, securing the backing of Spain's two main unions, UGT and CCOO.
The housing activists are demanding several measures, including the elimination of tourist apartments, a crackdown on real estate speculation and protections for renters through automatic lease renewals.
The unions are also seeking greater government intervention in the housing market and a new minimum wage agreement through negotiations with the employers' association.
The strike's official slogan is “Salaries. Housing. Prices.”
Spain's Left hopes to refocus attention on housing
The nationwide protests over Maricarmen's eviction prompted Spain's government to push through emergency measures to limit evictions and help tenants. However, right-wing parties in Parliament refused to ratify them, arguing that they would drive properties out of the rental market.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez responded by doubling down politically and called the election on October 5, hoping to secure another four years in power for his left-wing coalition.
But then came a deadly high-speed train collision – Spain's second fatal rail disaster of the year. The crash, which killed 69 people, has dominated Spanish news and distracted from the housing issue just as Sánchez had hoped to build campaign momentum.
The strike, according to analyst Oriol Bartomeus, offers an opportunity for Sánchez's Socialists and other left-wing parties to bring housing back to the centre of the election campaign.
“The Socialists need for the strike to be a success and for there not to be any violence so that the election campaign can swing back to being about housing, back in the framework of Maricarmen,” Bartomeus, a professor of political science at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, told The Associated Press.
On Thursday, the government will again try to get a reduced interim Parliament to ratify the two housing decrees rejected by the full lower chamber last month.
Sánchez posted a lengthy video on social media this week, in which he praised earlier social policies, such as the 40-hour work week and national health insurance, which were the result of the workers' movement and the right to strike.
“It wasn't easy, but they changed Spain,” Sánchez said, while warning that right-wing parties would bring austerity and underfunded social services.
Verónica Martínez, spokesperson for Sumar, the junior member of the government, separately said: “The Left needs the workers of this country to mobilise. Rights are first won on the streets and then later in the institution.”
The Right could benefit from the strike if it turns violent
The traditional conservative Popular Party and the far-right Vox oppose government intervention in the housing market, apart from incentives to encourage the construction of new homes.
They also argue that the unions are playing politics and trying to help Sánchez remain in office, with months of polling showing voters leaning towards the Right.
“This strike is not a general strike; it is an electoral strike,” Popular Party spokesperson Miguel Tellado said on Tuesday. “It is not against the government in power, but rather against the government to be.”
However, the right-wing parties, which have already joined forces to govern in some Spanish regions, could benefit from the strike if it descends into street violence, according to Bartomeus.
Strikes can result in hardline union members pressuring shops and offices to close. Spain, like other European countries, often sees peaceful public protests that radical groups exploit to clash with police and destroy property.
“The Popular Party and Vox both want the strike to be a flop and to end in scenes of burning dumpsters and shattered shop windows,” Bartomeus said. “That way the next morning they can say, ‘This is chaos and we are coming to establish order.’”
