Millions of Spaniards stage first general strike in 14 years as anger rages over housing

Résumé détaillé

MADRID: Four million Spanish workers took part in a general strike on Wednesday (Nov 11), unions said, enduring stormy weather to set up picket lines in a protest against the country's housing affordability crisis less than three weeks before a snap general election.

It is the first general strike since workers downed tools in 2012 against austerity measures during the euro zone debt crisis. The walkout is backed by Spain's two largest unions, UGT and CCOO, representing more than a million workers, as well as tenants' associations angry about rising rents and evictions.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez hopes to harness voter resentment over housing in the Nov 29 election to shift the political narrative away from corruption cases involving his inner circle and a deadly train crash last month. So far, his Socialist Party still trails in opinion polls.

Unions described the strike as a success even though participation was uneven across Spain, with the strongest support in coastal regions where housing pressures have been particularly acute.

On Madrid's Gran Via, one of the capital's main shopping streets, protesters cheered as stores including Primark, H&M and Pull & Bear drew their shutters amid a heavy riot police presence.

"We're going to close the Mango store," the protesters chanted as they jangled sets of house keys above their heads.

Many shops in Barcelona were also closed and boarded up in anticipation of unrest.

Spain has a deficit of about 750,000 homes, which is set to grow to more than a million by 2028, according to the central bank.

With fewer people able to afford a home, renting has increased sharply, putting pressure on that market. The average rental price of €1,176 (US$1,315) is equivalent to about 98.7 per cent of a young person's average monthly salary in Spain, according to the Youth Council of Spain.

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