“The strike does not start on November 11, it starts today, and it has already begun,” said Enric Aragonès, spokesperson for the Tenant Syndicate. Labor organizers and housing advocates announced on Monday that the main demonstration for the upcoming 24-hour general strike will gather at Jardinets de Gràcia in Barcelona at 5:30 p.m. on November 11, focusing public demands on soaring rent prices and wage adjustments.
Tenant Syndicates and Alternative Labor Groups Lead the Call
The mobilization is organized by the Ens Costa la Vida platform, the Tenant Syndicate, and the Catalan Trade Union Table—a coordination network representing alternative unions such as the CGT. Union representatives stated during a Monday press conference that while the specific rally location was not initially shared with major labor organizations in advance, CCOO has already decided to rally at the same site, with UGT expected to follow suit. Organizers established their operational headquarters for the strike at the Faculty of Philology and Communication at the University of Barcelona. This historic building will serve as the logistical hub for strike committees, hosting assemblies and organizing preparations ahead of the stoppage.
Core Demands on Housing and Worker Pay
The general strike platform centres on a dual set of grievances addressing both labor conditions and residential stability. Protesters are demanding reductions in rental prices to match working-class salaries, permanent residential leases, and the suspension of evictions that lack alternative housing. Additional housing demands include the prohibition of speculative property purchases and the recovery of vacant or tourist-designated apartments. The platform also calls for housing unions to be recognized as legitimate negotiating partners and for rent strikes to receive legal protections comparable to traditional labor strikes. On the labor front, organizers seek a 35-hour workweek, a ban on structural overtime, an increase in the minimum wage and pensions to 1,500 euros, and salary adjustments tied to inflation.
Official Filings and Employer Opposition
The CGT officially registered a 24-hour strike notice with the regional labor department on Monday. Montse Sànchez, general secretary of the CGT and spokesperson for the Catalan Trade Union Table, stated that the organization remains unconcerned about potential legal challenges, defending the strike as strictly grounded in labor rights. Meanwhile, national leaders at the CCOO and UGT headquarters in Madrid registered the general strike call at the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy. CCOO general secretary Unai Sordo described the action as a step toward a broad, unified social mobilization across Spain, while UGT general secretary Pepe Álvarez criticized current wage levels for locking out most workers from housing access. Opposition from the business sector emerged swiftly, as CEOE president Antonio Garamendi reiterated that employers will challenge the strike, labeling the mobilization as electoral in nature and questioning the liability of businesses for housing shortages.
