Unions call general strike for November 11 over housing and wages

A general strike for housing and decent wages will take place across Spain on November 11, unions announced on Wednesday.

The date was revealed after news broke of the death of Maricarmen Abascal, the 87-year-old woman evicted in Madrid whose case has reignited housing protests. 

"Maricarmen was never tired of repeating that we must keep fighting for what is ours," said Carme Arcarazo, spokesperson for Catalonia's Tenants' Union.

The 24-hour stoppage will take place just two days before the start of the general election campaign, which kicks off on November 13, ahead of the November 29 vote. It marks the first 24-hour general strike in Spain called by major unions since 2012. 

The organizing unions will have nearly a month to prepare for the mobilization, which they aim to make as large as possible.

"It is a strike against the real estate employers' association, against rentiers and investment funds that have been plundering our wages for years," Arcarazo said. "It is a strike, obviously, against the politicians who bow down before the real estate lobby.”