Spanish trade unions plan 24-hour general strike over housing, wages

Spanish trade unions CCOO and UGT announced Monday that they have begun preparations for a 24-hour general strike this fall to demand adequate wages and access to decent housing.

The proposed strike still requires endorsement from both unions’ highest governing bodies, they said in a joint statement, according to parliamentary news outlet Democrata.

The announcement follows the Congress of Deputies’ rejection Friday of royal decree-laws on housing.

The unions said they would coordinate with tenant movements and neighborhood groups, linking their labor demands to ongoing housing protests. A strike date will be agreed with those groups and the Tenants’ Union.

“The demonstrations from last weekend have shown the strength of that demand, and the response must be built among all the organizations that support it,” the statement said.

The unions linked the planned action to their proposals for the sixth Agreement for Employment and Collective Bargaining, which include wage increases of between 4% and 7%, alongside wage review clauses.

Their housing demands include a broad social pact, limits on rental prices, a permanent stock of publicly protected housing, and effective implementation of Spain’s housing rights law nationwide.

The unions also urged employers’ organizations to unblock collective bargaining and ensure wages cover basic needs.

They called on responsible public authorities to effectively enforce regulations protecting the right to housing.