Strike Notice Filed, Demonstration Planned

The Confederación General del Trabajo (CGT) has officially registered a 24-hour general strike for Wednesday 11th November 2026, marking a key step in formalising the industrial action. The strike aims to pressure the government on housing affordability and workers’ rights, with a central demonstration set for 5:30 PM at Jardinets de Gràcia in Barcelona. The announcement was made on Monday 19th October at a press conference held at the historic building of the University of Barcelona (UB) by representatives of the platform Viure ens costa la vida, the Tenants’ Union (Sindicat de Llogateres), and the Trade Union Table of Catalonia.

Demands Focus on Housing and Labour Rights

The strike campaign calls for a series of structural changes, including:

  • Reducing rental prices to match workers’ salaries
  • Guaranteeing indefinite rental contracts
  • Suspending evictions without alternative housing
  • Prohibiting speculative property purchases
  • Reclaiming vacant or tourism-oriented homes
  • Raising the minimum wage and pensions to €1,500 per month
  • Linking salaries to the Consumer Price Index (CPI)
  • Reducing the working week to 35 hours
  • Banning structural overtime

Montse Sánchez, spokesperson for the CGT and the Trade Union Table of Catalonia, stated the strike notice is “well-founded” on labour-related grounds and provides coverage for the entire working class across Spain.

We want this strike to be a benchmark so that in all sectors there is a fight for agreements that link salaries to the CPI.

Barcelona to Host Strike Operations Centre

The central faculty of the University of Barcelona will serve as the ‘Casa de la Vaga’ (Strike House) starting from 6:00 PM on Monday 19th October. The space will function as the operational hub for the strike in Barcelona, offering information, materials, meeting points, and activity programming. Rubén Páez, general coordinator of Viure ens costa la vida, declared:

Whoever governs, we will not stop flooding the streets.

He stressed the 11th November must become a “historic day” of mass mobilisation. Enric Aragonès, spokesperson for the Tenants’ Union, added:

The strike has already begun.

He pointed to recent demonstrations that have drawn hundreds of thousands, urging broader participation beyond union members.

Support Growing Among Works Councils

Organisers report that 60 works councils across Catalonia have already committed to the strike. The CGT is calling on all workplace representatives to back the stoppage. CCOO and UGT are expected to register their own strike notices with the Department of Business and Labour in Catalonia on Tuesday 20th October. Both major unions have already officially registered the strike call at the national level in Madrid, with UGT citing current wages as insufficient for housing access. Further details and campaign materials are available via the Ens Costa la Vida participation portal and the CGT’s official strike notice page.

Reported by metropoliabierta.cat, en.ara.cat, ACN, amic.media, enscostalavida.org, cgt-sapb.cat, ugt.es, cgtvalencia.org, CEB IMEB, Metrópoli Abierta (CA).