Millions of Spanish workers strike over housing crisis just weeks before snap election

Around four million workers across Spain joined a general strike on Wednesday, trade unions said, braving severe weather conditions to establish picket lines in protest against the nation's housing affordability crisis less than three weeks ahead of a snap general election.The demonstration represents Spain's first general strike since employees walked out in 2012 over austerity measures implemented during the euro zone debt crisis. Supported by the country's two largest trade unions, UGT and CCOO, which represent more than one million workers, the strike has also drawn support from tenants' associations resisting rent increases and forced evictions.Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is seeking to turn widespread voter anger over housing to his advantage ahead of the November 29 election, aiming to divert public attention away from corruption cases involving his inner circle and a deadly train crash last month. His Socialist Party currently remains behind in opinion polls.Unions described the walkout as a success despite varying levels of participation nationwide, with turnout highest in coastal areas where property pressures are particularly severe.Along Madrid's Gran Via, one of the capital's main shopping avenues, crowds of demonstrators cheered as retail chains including Primark, H&M and Pull & Bear lowered their shutters under the watch of a heavy riot police presence.Workers braved severe weather conditions to take to the streets (AFP/Getty)"We're going to close the Mango store," protesters chanted as they jangled sets of house keys above their heads.Numerous shops in Barcelona were also closed and boarded up in preparation for potential disorder.Spain currently faces a deficit of approximately 750,000 homes, a shortage expected to exceed one million by 2028, according to the central bank.With property ownership increasingly unaffordable, renting has increased sharply, putting pressure on that market. Figures from the Youth Council of Spain show the average rental price of €1,176 ($1,315) accounts for roughly 98.7% of a young person's average monthly salary in Spain."I’m 36 years old and I still can’t move out on my own," said Madrid resident Jesus Gonzalez, who works in a hospital IT department and supports the strike. "Rents just keep going up, house prices just keep going up, and it’s simply impossible."Angela de Miguel, vice president of Spain's main business lobby CEOE, stated that the strike was counterproductive because small businesses were also affected by the housing crisis, as recruitment became harder due to shortages of homes.Speaking on state broadcaster TVE, she said the solution was to build more homes and to lower taxes in construction and the home-buying process.Plans for major afternoon rallies were threatened by two heavy storms, dubbed Charles and Bruna, which forced unions to suspend a demonstration in the southern port city of Cadiz.Nevertheless, the tenants' union said it still expected participation in the strike to reach 5 million people by the end of the day. Spain has around 23 million workers, according to the national statistics institute.According to UGT and CCOO, participation in the strike reached 90% at ports and in the automotive sector, with "total stoppages" reported at factories including Volkswagen's in Navarre and SEAT's in Barcelona.National grid operator Red Electrica recorded a drop in electricity demand of up to 15.5% between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.Barcelona's metro said no trains would run outside peak commuting hours, while Madrid's metro said peak-hour usage was down 42% compared to the same period last week.People protest on the streets of Barcelona (Reuters)However, with more people able to work remotely and the increasing weight of services in Spain’s economy, the overall impact of the strike is likely to be less pronounced than in previous years, according to Miguel Cardoso, chief economist at BBVA Research. He estimated that the strike could shave 0.1%-0.2% off Spain’s annual gross domestic product.Spain's fast-growing hospitality and finance industries are less unionised than the public and industrial sectors.Police had reported 40 arrests by midday from 476 incidents linked to the general strike, including blockades of offices and industrial estates and burning of rubbish containers.Unions said they would file a criminal complaint against what they described as a "disproportionate" response during a police operation involving tear gas and batons that left 20 protesters injured.The strike follows weeks of demonstrations provoked by the eviction and subsequent death of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid.Those protests, along with parliament's rejection last month of government decrees aimed at curbing evictions and limiting rent pressures, prompted Sanchez to call the snap election.