Spanish activists call for class-based general strike ahead of November elections

A general strike is scheduled for Wednesday in Spain, following weeks of protests sparked by the eviction of an 87-year-old tenant, Maricarmen, after her rent was raised by 500 %. Mario Arguiriano of the Marxist organization Coordinadora Juvenil Socialista (CJS) said the eviction highlighted broader discontent among the working class over housing costs, stagnant wages, rising military spending and the policies of the current government.

Arguiriano explained that the housing crisis reflects both the functioning and the decline of capitalism, noting that low interest rates encourage speculative investment in property. He cited examples of wealthy individuals owning large numbers of apartments and argued that the problem extends beyond vulture funds to a broader bourgeois class that treats housing as a profit-driven asset. He added that wages in Spain have been stagnant for decades, contributing to a precarious labor market that attracts international capital.

The activist emphasized that recent anti-eviction protests have evolved into permanent encampments, which he described as a way to build organizational strength and advance a revolutionary agenda. While CJS collaborates with tenants’ unions on immediate actions, it maintains strategic differences, viewing the unions’ reform-oriented approach as insufficient for systemic change.

Regarding the upcoming strike, Arguiriano criticised the model promoted by the major unions Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) and Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT), which he said serves as a “transmission cable” for the government. He called for a class-based strike that opposes the entire capitalist system rather than targeting a specific political party. The strike, he said, aims to strengthen class power and promote demands for affordable housing, higher salaries and resistance to authoritarian state measures.

CJS does not intend to participate in the November general elections, arguing that existing parties do not represent workers’ interests. Instead, the group seeks to build a mass revolutionary party across Spain and Europe, working alongside unions and other social movements to develop a socialist program.

"The general strike should be a class-based struggle against the whole capitalist government, not an embarrassment that supports any particular party," Arguiriano said.

"We will support the strike with all our resources and use it to build class power and promote an alternative political structure for workers," he added.