Workers launch general strike across Spain over severe housing crisis

Workers in Spain went on a general strike on Wednesday, setting up picket lines despite stormy weather in a mass protest against the country’s housing affordability crisis a few weeks before a snap ⁠general election.

It is the first general strike in 14 years to be jointly backed by Spain’s two largest unions, UGT and CCOO, as well as other labour organizations and tenants’ associations angry about rising rents and evictions.

“We won’t stop until we transform this country’s housing model from top to bottom so that houses are for living instead of being at the service of the rentier minority,” said Alicia del Rio, ⁠spokesperson for the Madrid Tenants’ Union, as the strike began at ​midnight.

Spain ⁠has a deficit of about 750,000 homes, which is set to grow to more than a million by 2028, according to the central bank.

With fewer people able to afford a home, renting has increased sharply, ⁠putting pressure on that market. The average rental price of €1,176 ($1,315) is equivalent to about 98.7% of a young person’s average ​monthly salary ⁠in Spain, according to the Youth Council of ‌Spain.

Plans for massive protest marches in the afternoon were threatened by two storms…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business