Symbolic imageSpain's first general strike in 14 years halts ports and car plants over housing
Workers across Spain walked out on Wednesday over rents and low wages, less than three weeks before the 29 November snap election.
The unions CCOO and UGT, joined by tenants' groups, called the 24-hour stoppage, Spain's first general strike since 2012. The unions reported 90% participation in ports and the car industry and 82% in waste collection, and production stopped at Seat's Martorell plant. They also said turnout varied by region, with the strongest support on the coasts. The Confederation of Tenants' Associations said about 4 million people had taken part by midday. The employers' body CEOE called participation low, and Madrid's mayor José Luis Almeida (PP) called the strike a failure.
Marches and arrests
In the evening, organisers claimed 400,000 marchers in Barcelona, while local police counted 55,000; government officials estimated 120,000 in Madrid. State broadcaster RTVE reported at least 23 arrests by morning, and government officials later spoke of more than 50 nationwide, mostly over minor incidents.
Housing at the centre of the campaign
The protests were triggered by the September eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal in Madrid, who died days later. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's government backed the strike, while the PP and the far right criticised it as ideological. Le Monde reports that Sánchez wants part of his housing package adopted on Thursday by the Permanent Deputation.