The general strike for housing heats up the Balearic Islands

PalmaAlmost 14 years after the last one, a new general strike has been called across the State this November 11th, the eighth in democratic history. The organizers –CCOO, UGT, CGT, CNT, PAH Mallorca, SATI and the Tenants' Union of Mallorca– consider that there are "abundant reasons" to support it. The difficulties in accessing housing are the main trigger for the mobilization, which also demands wage increases, an improvement in the minimum wage, measures against real estate speculation, more public housing, and the strengthening of public services.

The mobilization will be accompanied by demonstrations in Palma (6:30 p.m.), Ciutadella (5:00 p.m.), Maó and Ibiza (6:00 p.m.). The Palma Housing Union has also called for an educational demonstration at 12:00 p.m. at Plaça del Tub, followed by a popular lunch, reports Europa Press. In Palma, CCOO information pickets will begin on Tuesday at 10:00 p.m. at Emaya and will continue during the early morning at the EMT and Mercapalma (4:30 a.m.), the Intermodal station (7:00 a.m.) and Plaça d'Espanya (9:00 a.m.).

One of the main fronts of the mobilization will be precisely Plaça d'Espanya, where those camped out for housing have announced that they will return after the general strike, a week after the Local Police evicted them: "Right now we are focusing all our forces on the strike and on ensuring that people organize themselves to exert pressure and claim housing as a basic right".

"After having managed to call this strike, our plan is to camp there again," explained Clara Santano, one of the participants. The collective considers that the eviction violated the right to assembly and denounces that they were unable to recover their belongings, that the self-managed library was destroyed, and that the police tried to prevent them from continuing the protest by sitting on the ground.

Political brawl

The call, which will take place on the eve of the general elections on November 29, has also opened a new front of confrontation between political parties. While the left has called for participation in it –MÉS per Mallorca has asked to suspend parliamentary activity so that the Chamber's workers can exercise the right to strike–, the right has accused the unions of instrumentalizing the protest for electoral purposes. During this Tuesday's plenary session of Parliament, the Government President, Marga Prohens, reproached the PSIB for supporting a mobilization for housing after eight years of socialist governments, while the socialist spokesperson, Iago Negueruela, criticized the minimum services imposed by the Executive and accused it of avoiding talking about the housing problem.

The organization No Normal Mallorca, has called for not buying anything during the general strike. Specifically, they ask not to buy at shops or supermarkets, not to withdraw money, not to put in gasoline, not to change the tariff of services such as electricity and gas, and also not to contract new services or make purchases online.

When was the last general strike?

The last general strike took place on November 14, 2012, the second one during the government of Mariano Rajoy. It was called internationally for the first time, with mobilizations also in other countries such as Portugal, Italy, and Greece.