Spanish unions prepare for nationwide general strike ahead of election

Spanish trade unions Comisiones Obreras and Unión General de Trabajadores have called a nationwide 24-hour general strike for Wednesday, Euronews reported. The walkout comes 18 days before Spain holds a snap general election on 29 November. It is the first joint general strike by the two major unions since November 2012. [1]

Euronews reported that the workers are striking over affordable rent, wages that keep pace with rising prices, and functional public services. The upcoming action echoes similar economic grievances across Europe, including in Madrid, Paris, Brussels, and Rome. [1]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, public sector unions in neighboring France recently called their own nationwide strike to demand higher pay for rail, hospital, postal, and education workers. French authorities deployed approximately 70,000 police officers ahead of those demonstrations. [3]

The previous joint general strike in Spain took place fourteen years prior during an austerity crisis, according to Euronews. The upcoming industrial action aims to bring economic activity across the country to a halt. [1]