Millions of Spaniards stage first general strike in 14 years as anger over housing leads to clashes

Detailed summary

Millions of Spaniards join first general strike in 14 years over housing crisis, with clashes reported in Barcelona and Madrid. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Workers endured stormy weather to set up picket lines, with large marches taking place in Madrid (above), Barcelona and cities across Spain.

MADRID - A general strike by four million Spanish workers – around one-fifth of the total workforce – against the country’s housing crisis was mostly peaceful on Nov 11, unions said, though clashes erupted in some areas of Barcelona and Madrid by the evening.

Workers endured stormy weather to set up picket lines, with large marches taking place in Madrid, Barcelona and cities across Spain less than three weeks before a snap general election.

In the evening, clashes between police and some protesters erupted in Barcelona. Reuters footage showed furniture on the street had been set on fire after the main march had ended.

Tensions also rose in Madrid where riot police used foam bullets, tear gas and pepper spray to disperse protesters around the central Plaza de Espana, a Reuters witness said.

Police forces reported at least 73 arrests nationwide by 9pm GMT (Nov 12, 5am, Singapore time) from at least 1,044 incidents linked to the general strike, including blockades of offices and industrial estates and burning of rubbish containers.

It is the first general strike since workers downed tools in 2012 against austerity measures during the euro zone debt crisis.

The walkout is backed by Spain’s two largest unions, the General Union of Workers (UGT) and the Workers’ Commissions (CCOO), representing more than a million workers, as well as tenants’ associations angry about rising rents and evictions.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez hopes to harness voter resentment over housing in the Nov 29 election to shift the attention away from a deadly migration incident in Ceuta in July and a train crash in October.

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