Thousands of civil society groups back Spain's 11 November housing strike

What the walkout covers

A 24-hour general strike over the housing crisis is set for Wednesday, 11 November, running from 00.00 to 24.00. The call came from the Sindicato de Inquilinas, the tenants' union, and it has the backing of CCOO, UGT and CGT, with workplace assemblies by CIG and LAB also explaining the strike to staff. It would be the first large general strike in 14 years. Organisers want decent housing and a recovery in purchasing power through higher wages and pensions. In plants on continuous or rotating shifts, the strike starts with the first shift and ends with the last one, even if that shift runs past midnight.

Unions and civil society line up behind the strike

CCOO said on Friday, 6 November, that thousands of citizen groups, social movements and environmental, feminist and LGBTIQ+ associations have joined the call. Named backers include CEAR, the Plataforma de Afectados por la Hipoteca (PAH), Greenpeace, Intermón Oxfam and Facua. The tenants' confederation (CSI) said more than 20,000 civil society organisations support the walkout. Unai Sordo and Pepe Álvarez, the leaders of CCOO and UGT, met dozens of civil society representatives this week to coordinate actions before the day. The Comisión 8M in Madrid has urged feminist groups to join, arguing:

“The housing crisis fuels male violence.”

The group adds that many women remain trapped in violent relationships because they cannot afford a home.

Cultural sector signs the manifesto

More than 800 people from the culture sector have signed the manifesto 'El 11N, la cultura también para'. Signatories include filmmakers Rodrigo Sorogoyen and Laura Hojman, actor and writer Carlos Bardem, writer Maruja Torres, philosopher Paul B. Preciado and musician Nacho Vegas. According to the text, more than 70 publishers, over 100 bookshops and more than 70 spaces and organisations also back it. The manifesto calls for stable housing with permanent contracts, rent caps in stressed areas and an end to evictions. It also asks for measures against racist discrimination in housing and commercial spaces, a tax and self-employment regime suited to intermittent income, and respect for strike rights in cultural institutions. It cites the Ley del Cine, which it says was blocked in 2023 and again in 2026.

The eviction behind the campaign

The tenants' union drew much of its momentum from the eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid's Retiro district. A later negotiation with the fund Urbagestión secured a new rental contract on similar terms, but she died in hospital after being moved there following the eviction. The Sindicato de Inquilinas, the Asociación Vecinal Retiro Norte and the FRAVM will hold a tribute on Saturday, 7 November, at 19.00 outside her former building on Calle Alcalde Sainz de Baranda. A family member will speak, and the choir EnTreCantos will perform songs by Frank Sinatra, her favourite artist. The event marks one month since her death.

Political friction before the strike

The Urda rail accident shifted the national mood before the strike, and organisers paused their plans for several days of shock. They have since resumed the agenda for mobilisation, although they acknowledge that the mood of the country has changed. Eldiario.es reports that the PP tried to set the strike against the accident victims, a move that Unai Sordo and Pepe Álvarez called insulting. Alicia del Río, spokesperson for the Sindicato de Inquilinas, described the criticism as pathetic in an interview with eldiario.es. The dispute over the victims is likely to remain part of the debate in the days before the walkout.