Spain holds first general strike in 14 years over housing crisis

Spain is experiencing its first general strike in 14 years, with millions of workers across nearly all industries participating to protest the country's worsening housing crisis, France 24 reported.

The 24-hour strike began at midnight and has caused significant disruptions to public transport and forced many businesses, factories, and shops to close or reduce operations, according to Al Jazeera.

The strike was called by Spain's two largest unions, UGT and CCOO, who reported high participation rates in strategic sectors such as automotive and ports, while the business organization CEOE noted varied impact across regions and sectors, DW reported.

The protests were sparked by a wave of nationwide demonstrations following the eviction and subsequent death of an elderly pensioner in Madrid, which has intensified public concern about access to affordable housing, Al Jazeera and DW reported.

The strike comes less than three weeks before a snap national election scheduled for November 29, which has brought the housing crisis to the forefront of political debate, with the current left-wing government having faced parliamentary opposition to its proposed housing legislation, DW noted.

There were minor incidents during the strike, including clashes between police and picketers near Madrid's main wholesale market and roadblocks with burning tires in Barcelona, as reported by Al Jazeera and DW.

The strike highlights the urgent demands of workers and tenants for government action to transform Spain's housing model, with unions and activists emphasizing the need for housing to serve residents rather than landlords, DW reported.