Spain's first general strike in 14 years: unions call it a success, employers a failure

A protest over housing and living costs

Spain held its first general strike in 14 years on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, 18 days before snap general elections set for 29 November. The action was framed around housing and the rising cost of living, after wages that have grown much more slowly, rather than around a specific labour reform. The Sindicato de Inquilinas, the tenants' union, prompted the call, and the two largest trade unions, UGT and CC.OO., were drawn into it. A La Vanguardia commentary notes that the government supported the strike.

Polls cited in another La Vanguardia column suggest a right-wing coalition could emerge from the 29 November ballot. According to that column, the strike was aimed at that prospect rather than at the government itself.

Turnout and the dispute over success

Unions and employers reached opposite verdicts on turnout. According to the unions, participation exceeded 80% in Catalonia and Madrid, while in Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha it stood at 41%. Industry, logistics and transport, the most unionised sectors, were the most mobilised. UGT general secretary Pepe Álvarez said the unions had done better than the organisers expected.

“It went as well as, or better than, the organisers could have foreseen, and we have reason to congratulate ourselves.”

CC.OO. general secretary Unai Sordo accepted that participation was uneven but said the day had exceeded the expectations of the unions.

“The general strike has been a success and has exceeded the expectations of the trade union organisations.”

The employers' confederation CEOE put average participation below 5%, both nationally and by sector, and called the day a failure. It acknowledged a bigger impact in the most unionised areas and sectors. The construction employers' body said participation was practically nil, and the hospitality association described it as very limited.

Streets, pickets and the economy

Heavy rain fell on Madrid during the march, and demonstrators walked under a continuous downpour. Schools, leisure venues and shops closed in Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao and Valencia, and in many of those cities the day felt like a public holiday. Pickets and widespread teleworking reinforced the image of a country at a standstill. A La Vanguardia commentary argued that economic activity suffered less than in past general strikes, and it criticised some picket actions for interfering with the right to information. The Barcelona march drew many young people, a factor the same commentary flagged ahead of the 29 November vote.

Political aftermath

The commentary expects the government to take ownership of the protest, with Congress's permanent deputation likely to validate a housing decree-law that the full chamber rejected days earlier. According to La Vanguardia, Izquierda Unida's public representatives and party-paid staff will donate the proportional share of a day's pay, 1.4 days of salary, to the Sindicato de Inquilinas. The housing dispute and the election now run on the same timetable, with the vote set for 29 November.

The 1988 precedent

A La Vanguardia column by Lluís Foix recalls the general strike of December 1988, which paralysed the country the day before 15 December. Felipe González acknowledged its success and called it a hard political blow for the government. UGT, led by Nicolás Redondo, and Comisiones Obreras, led by Antonio Gutiérrez, won improvements in pensions, unemployment benefits, the minimum wage and collective bargaining for civil servants. The column argues that the 2026 unions are weaker, because the initiative did not come from them and was not aimed at the government.