The unions will call a general strike for housing before 11-29

MadridThere will be a general strike for housing before the Spanish elections on November 29th. The major unions, CCOO and UGT, are supporting the stoppage proposed days ago by the Tenants' Union (Sindicat de Llogateres), which this Sunday already had the support of the CGT union, as ARA has learned from sources familiar with the talks. CCOO and UGT, the two unions with the greatest presence in companies, had until now been cautious and expectant regarding the decision Pedro Sánchez would take: whether or not to call snap elections. The pressure on them, however, has grown steadily, especially after this weekend's mobilizations across the country with thousands of people taking to the streets. After a final meeting this Monday afternoon, the major unions have ended up deciding to support the proposal, as ARA has learned.

"A general strike is the only way," insisted the Madrid Tenants' Union this Monday morning, in a media briefing from Puerta del Sol, the epicenter of the housing demonstrations, to assess the calling of elections. In fact, the union's spokesperson, Alícia del Río, looked to the rest of the sectors already mobilized: from education to healthcare or pensioners. "We do not intend to take a step back. We will move forward for a program that guarantees that housing is a right and not a means through which a few earn a living," stated Del Río.

CCOO and the UGT have been calibrating how to respond to the demand to move towards a strike of these characteristics. Furthermore, in the middle of an electoral period like the one that is opening, they feared that the final objective of the strike would not be clear and that it would add "confusion". "Who is the strike against? Against the [central] government, which has not done enough? Against the right to overturn the decrees? Against the PP autonomous communities that have been blocking the state housing law for some time?", union sources asked. Finally, however, the two majority unions have picked up the gauntlet from the Sindicat de Llogateres, which this Monday warned that they "would not wait for any electoral calendar". "The horizon is set", they insisted.

A socio-labor motive

The last general strike in the State was called by minority unions on October 15, 2025, for Palestine, while the last major stoppage for socio-labor reasons dates back to November 2012. In Catalonia, in October 2017, a general strike was also called against the police repression of 1-O. In the State, the call for a general strike corresponds to the workers, although it is common for their representatives or trade union organizations to be the ones calling it.

The general strike proposed by the Tenants' Union puts housing and rent prices in the spotlight, which is why CCOO and the UGT were calibrating how it could fit with a socio-labor demand. The housing problem, however, affects the purchasing power of the population—the upward pressure on prices takes up a large part of workers' wages, and even many companies recognize that it is a difficulty when finding employees—, which is a key issue in the socio-labor field.