The general strike on Wednesday 11 November 2026 will include several demonstrations and activities in Palma to demand solutions to the housing crisis, higher wages and measures to tackle the rising cost of living. The 24-hour nationwide strike will feature an information picket, an education sector demonstration, a communal lunch (dinar popular) and a demonstration at 18:30 starting from plaça d’Espanya.

General strike

An earlier demonstration in defence of the right to housing, one of the main demands of the general strike on 11 November. Photo: CCOO.

UGT (General Union of Workers), CCOO (Workers’ Commissions) and other trade unions and organisations campaigning for housing rights have organised the strike. In the Balearic Islands, UGT, CCOO, STEI (Intersindical Trade Union of Education Workers), CGT (General Confederation of Labour), CNT (National Confederation of Labour), SATI (Independent Workers’ Union), the Sindicat de Llogateres (Tenants’ Union) and the Plataforma de Afectados por la Hipoteca (PAH, Platform for People Affected by Mortgages) formally registered the strike with the Conselleria de Presidència (Regional Ministry of the Presidency) on 29 October.

Timetable of demonstrations and activities in Palma on 11 November

The Sindicat d’Habitatge (Housing Union) has published a programme featuring four events throughout the day:

  • 08:00. Mobile information picket, starting from Porta de Sant Antoni.
  • 12:00. Education sector demonstration, starting from plaça del Tub.
  • 14:00. Communal lunch (dinar popular), at plaça de Raimundo Clar.
  • 18:30. Demonstration, starting from plaça d’Espanya.

The organisation has announced its participation in these activities and called for a strong turnout at the afternoon demonstration. The main demands include ending the commercial exploitation of housing and increasing wages.

The strike follows several weeks of protests over access to housing in Palma. These include the protest camp at plaça d’Espanya, whose participants have organised assemblies and meetings in different neighbourhoods to prepare for the general strike.

Why the general strike has been called for 11 November

The housing affordability crisis, loss of purchasing power and insecure employment are the main reasons behind the strike. Trade unions argue that rising rents and the increasing cost of essential goods are making it increasingly difficult to make ends meet, particularly for lower-paid workers.

Their main demands include:

  • Higher wages to restore purchasing power.
  • Shorter working hours and improved working conditions.
  • Breaking the deadlock in collective bargaining and renewing collective agreements.
  • Curbing property speculation and improving access to decent housing.
  • Introducing measures to tackle rising prices for essential goods.
  • Strengthening public services and social rights.

The general secretary of UGT Illes Balears, Pedro Homar, has criticised the authorities’ response to the housing crisis. “We cannot accept that the inaction of public authorities has brought us to this situation,” he said. He also called for the strike to be “massive, assertive and peaceful”.

Meanwhile, tenants’ rights organisations are demanding measures such as lower rents, open-ended rental contracts and a halt to evictions.

Which trade unions are taking part in the general strike?

Alongside UGT and CCOO, the nationwide strike involves the Confederación de Sindicatos de Inquilinas (CSI, Confederation of Tenants’ Unions), CGT, CNT, Solidaridad Obrera (Workers’ Solidarity) and Co.Bas (Rank-and-File Committees), as well as support from other regional trade union organisations.

In the Balearic Islands, the registered strike also includes STEI, SATI, the Sindicat de Llogateres and the PAH, as part of a joint mobilisation demanding better working conditions and solutions to the housing crisis.

The Govern (Balearic Islands Government) has established minimum service requirements for public transport, education, healthcare and social services during the strike. TIB buses will operate public holiday timetables, while train and metro services will run less frequently. Schools and healthcare facilities will maintain essential services, although some of their normal activities may be affected. Further information is available at this link.