Trade unions in Spain have officially announced a nationwide general strike addressing severe housing issues, scheduled for November 11. The move comes just weeks ahead of a snap election where skyrocketing rents and frequent evictions have dominated the political campaign discourse.

The country’s two largest labor organizations, the General Union of Workers (UGT) and Workers' Commissions (CCOO), stated that the planned date still requires formal ratification from other unions. This historic event marks the first general strike jointly backed by Spain’s two largest unions in 14 years.

Valeria Racu, spokesperson for the Madrid Tenants’ Union, emphasized that housing consumes the vast majority of citizens' wages, questioning the point of raising minimum wages when housing costs surge three, four, or even five times faster.

According to data from the Bank of Spain, the country currently suffers from a deficit of roughly 750,000 homes, a figure projected to exceed one million by 2028. Furthermore, figures from the Youth Council of Spain indicate that the average rental price of 1,176 euros consumes approximately 98.7 percent of a young person's average monthly salary.

The strike announcement follows weeks of widespread demonstrations triggered by the contentious eviction in Madrid of 87-year-old Maria del Carmen Abascal, widely known as Maricarmen, who has become the human face of the escalating housing crisis. An international investment fund reportedly purchased her building and hiked her rent by over 200 percent to force out the long-term tenant in favor of lucrative tourist apartments.

The unfolding social upheaval has exposed profound vulnerabilities within the European regime's domestic governance. Last week's failure by the Spanish administration to pass emergency measures aimed at tackling the crisis compelled Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to call an early election for November 29, as public discontent continues to mount against the incumbent leadership.

Source: www.aljazeera.com