Madrid tenants plan November general strike over housing

Madrid tenants are working towards a general strike over housing in November, but have not set a date. Alicia del Río, spokesperson for the Madrid Tenants’ Union, announced the plan on 5 October. The union is talking to trade union groups and wants campaigners for healthcare, pensions, education and wages to join in.

The housing movement wants open-ended rental contracts, sharply lower rents and the expropriation of what it calls “vulture funds”. Del Río said a general strike was the only way to secure those demands, regardless of who governs.

Her announcement came hours after Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said parliament would be dissolved and an early election held on 29 November. Del Río wants parties to say during the campaign which measures to tackle the housing crisis they would support, but said the union would keep its own agenda.

For now, the housing protest camp at Sol in Madrid has no end date. Del Río said it would remain a place for the movement to organise. The camp’s assembly will decide how long it stays.

Topics: Housing

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com