Rail walkouts follow deadly Urda collision
SEMAF, the train drivers' union, has scheduled a full-day strike at Renfe on November 10 and partial stoppages on November 12, according to Railway Supply. Those actions bracket the nationwide November 11 walkout.
The strikes follow an October 28, 2026, collision between a Renfe AVE train and an Iryo train near Urda in Toledo province. As of October 30, the confirmed death toll was 69, The Olive Press reported.
CCOO's railway section demanded the resignation of Transport Minister Óscar Puente after the accident. Sánchez continued to support the minister, according to El País.
For an earlier SEMAF strike on October 29, the Ministry of Transport required minimum services equivalent to 73% of normal high-speed and long-distance trains, an average of 65% on Media Distancia regional routes and 26% of scheduled freight services. The requirements for Cercanías commuter trains were 75% during peak hours and 50% at other times, Railway Supply reported.
Housing protests and workplace support
CCOO and UGT, Spain's two largest union confederations, called the general strike for Wednesday, November 11, 2026, seeking higher wages, affordable housing and price controls. StrikeTracker describes it as the first general strike the two have jointly backed since 2012.
The call emerged from housing protests, according to El País. Those protests were symbolized by the eviction of Maricarmen Abascal, an 87-year-old woman who died two weeks after being removed from her home. The Sindicato de Inquilinas also led the Sol encampment, which pressed the large national unions to call the strike.
By November 2, the Sindicato de Inquilinas had recorded 4,342 endorsements from works councils, union sections and worker assemblies, Europa Press reported. Support included groups at Renfe, Metro de Madrid, Ferrocarrils Metropolitans de Barcelona, Nissan, CAF, Alstom and Amazon Logistics.
Dispute over the strike's election timing
The walkout is scheduled two days before the official election campaign opens on November 13. Spain's snap general election is set for November 29, 2026, according to The Olive Press.
CEOE, Spain's main employers' confederation, has called the action an "electoral strike" and announced plans to challenge it, The Olive Press reported. The unions deny that the strike serves any particular party.
