Unions and housing groups in Spain’s Region of Murcia are calling a 24-hour general strike on November 11 over wages, rising rents and working conditions. The call brings together CCOO, UGT and Intersindical with the Housing Union, the Platform for People Affected by Mortgages (PAH), the Workers’ Brotherhood of Catholic Action (HOAC) and No+Precariedad.

Juan, a 36-year-old call-centre assistant whose name has been changed, says he is currently on sick leave and lives with relatives because he could not afford rent. “I’m working to pay, not working to live,” he said. His experience reflects the concerns behind the strike, organisers say: wages that do not cover rising costs and workplace pressure that can undermine workers’ health.

Teresa Fuentes, CCOO’s regional secretary, traces the mobilisation’s origins to the September 23 eviction of Mari Carmen and subsequent housing demonstrations. Jorge Molina, spokesperson for Murcia’s Housing Union, says the call for a general strike had been developed by housing and tenants’ groups for months before the larger unions joined. Fuentes describes the action as political because it seeks political solutions, but not as party-political.

Molina says average rent in Murcia has exceeded €800. Across the region, housing prices have risen by more than 100% in ten years, while wages have increased by around 30%, he says. He also reports that there were between two and three evictions a day at the start of the year, with migrant families, single mothers and young people among those most affected.

The unions also point to the effects of pressure at work. Juan describes alternating shifts and growing demands for skills in areas including English, administration and technology. He says artificial intelligence has already replaced some roles, which he believes are not returning. UGT regional secretary Paqui Sánchez says anxiety and depression are becoming more common among workers who feel they cannot make ends meet.

A study by Umivale Activa and the Valencian Institute of Economic Research, shared in February by the Region of Murcia’s College of Social Graduates, found that workplace absenteeism in the region rose 9.2% in the third quarter of 2025, compared with 6.6% nationally. The college’s dean cited an increase in leave related to mental health, particularly depression, and rejected worker fraud as the explanation.

In collective bargaining, CCOO is seeking pay rises of between 4% and 7%, while UGT is calling for a 7% increase. Both unions argue that company profits are high. CCOO also cites labour force survey figures showing that employment in the region rose from 641,500 people in the second quarter of 2018 to 742,100 in the same quarter of 2026, while unemployment fell from 116,000 to 90,200.

Organisers say they are working to reach workers in agriculture, hospitality and small businesses, where concerns about possible reprisals may be greater. CCOO is preparing materials in seasonal workers’ languages, while UGT says it will provide legal support to anyone taking part in the strike.

The call comes amid an indefinite metalworkers’ strike that began on October 27. At least four people were arrested in Cartagena during its first two days, according to the report. Two, union delegates from UGT and CSIF, were arrested near the entrances to Navantia over an alleged assault on authority. Police said a picket had blocked a fire engine; unions described a scuffle and alleged that police used force.

Neither CCOO nor UGT is predicting a participation rate for November 11. Sánchez says the aim is to make the strength of public concern visible in the streets. Housing groups are organising pickets and a demonstration through joint strike committees with CGT, Intersindical, CCOO and UGT. Their demands include indefinite rental contracts, lower rents and a larger public housing supply.

Sources: elDiario.es.