UGT and CCOO set November 11 for a nationwide strike, the first they have jointly backed in 14 years, two weeks before a November 29 snap election called after housing protests.
Spain's two largest unions, UGT and CCOO, said on Wednesday they had agreed a nationwide general strike over housing for November 11, Reuters reported from Madrid. The date still needed formal ratification by other unions later that day. It would be the first general strike the two have jointly backed in 14 years.
The strike falls two weeks before a snap election on November 29. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the vote after parliament rejected decrees meant to curb evictions and rent pressure, and after protests set off by the eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid. Activists have camped in a central square.
The Bank of Spain puts the housing deficit at about 750,000 homes, rising above a million by 2028. The Youth Council of Spain said the average rent of 1,176 euros, about 1,315 dollars, equals about 98.7 percent of a young person's average monthly salary.
The union announcement sets a date. It does not itself close workplaces. Bloomberg also reported the call as a response to the defeat of a housing bill.
Reuters did not report a government response in the dispatch used here.
People Sentiments Negative
- UGT and CCOO agreed the November 11 date, pending ratification by other unions.