Madrid, Nov 11 (EFE).- A 24-hour general strike across Spain on Wednesday disrupted public transport, halted operations at some ports and factories, and led to dozens of arrests as workers protested rising housing costs and demanded higher wages to offset inflation.
The country’s largest trade unions, Workers’ Commissions or CCOO and General Union of Workers or UGT, described the walkout as “a success,” saying participation was particularly strong in industry, logistics and transportation.
They called the strike justified and said it had drawn widespread support across much of the country.
But Spain’s main employers’ association, CEOE, reported low participation and said most sectors were operating “normally.” It estimated turnout at 10% in Madrid, 5% in Castilla-La Mancha and 2.6% in the Valencian Community.
The unions reported significantly higher figures, saying participation ranged from an average of 41% in Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura to over 80% in Catalonia and Andalusia.
CCOO said 60.8% of retail workers and 61.9% of employees in the hospitality and tourism sectors had joined the strike. However, the hospitality employers’ association, Hosteleria de Espana, reported very low participation and said businesses were operating largely as usual.
The strike affected ports, rail services and air travel across Spain, with heavy rain adding to disruptions in much of the country.
Container terminals at the southern port of Algeciras remained at a standstill, while unions described the stoppage at the eastern port of Valencia as massive.
Workers also blocked the ports of Barcelona and Tarragona and demonstrated outside major distribution centers, including Mercamadrid, disrupting vehicle departures.
Some automobile factories also suspended production.
State-owned railway operator Renfe reported that 24% of scheduled high-speed and long-distance trains were canceled, along with 10.2% of commuter and medium-distance services.
In Madrid, road traffic fell 13%, while passenger numbers on public buses dropped 63% during the morning rush hour, according to the city council.
Airlines canceled 263 flights, or 5.82% of the 4,529 scheduled operations, preliminary figures showed.
National electricity consumption also fell by as much as 15.5% between 10 and 11 am compared with forecasts, according to grid operator Red Electrica.
The strike’s early hours were marked by confrontations between protesters and police. Workers blocked roads leading into Madrid and Barcelona and gathered outside distribution centers, ports and transport facilities in attempts to halt operations.
Most of the 30 arrests were made in the Basque Country, where 13 people were detained, and Madrid, where eight were arrested, officials said.
Trade unions and several left-wing political parties condemned police actions against demonstrators, describing them as “repressive, violent and hostile.”
The strike was spearheaded by the self-described Tenants’ Union, which has linked the housing crisis to rising living costs. Its timing, less than three weeks before the general election, has fueled political controversy.
Business groups and conservative and far-right opposition parties have criticized the action as politically motivated and, in some cases, illegal.
The left-wing coalition government, led by the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), called for respect for workers’ right to strike. Several ministers openly expressed support for the walkout. EFE
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