Spain will hold a 24-hour general strike on Wednesday, November 11, over the country's housing affordability crisis, with the action also affecting workers and businesses in Ibiza and the Balearic Islands.

The major trade unions UGT and CCOO have agreed on November 11 as the date for the nationwide stoppage, joining the wider housing movement that has been calling for action over rising rents, house prices and the growing difficulty for workers to afford a home.

The strike will take place 18 days before Spain's general election on November 29 and two days before the official start of the electoral campaign.

Why are the unions calling the strike?

UGT and CCOO say the housing crisis has become directly connected to workers' incomes.

The unions argue that salaries are increasingly being absorbed by rent or mortgage payments and that having a job should provide sufficient income to afford decent housing.

Their demands include improvements to wages, measures to increase the supply of public and affordable housing, stronger protection for tenants and action to limit excessive housing costs.

The decision follows a series of recent demonstrations and mobilisations over access to housing across Spain.

November 11 confirmed

The date was initially proposed by the Confederación de Sindicatos de Inquilinas, which has been one of the main organisations behind the wider housing mobilisation.

UGT Secretary General Pepe Álvarez subsequently confirmed that November 11 had been agreed with CCOO. The remaining details of the wider joint mobilisation were then coordinated with the tenant organisations and other unions supporting the action.

The resulting strike is scheduled as a 24-hour nationwide stoppage.

It will be the first general strike supported jointly by Spain's two largest trade unions, UGT and CCOO, since November 2012.

What does it mean for Ibiza?

The strike is national, meaning that workers and employers in Ibiza and the rest of the Balearic Islands can be affected.

However, specific local arrangements for Ibiza, including demonstrations, meeting points, transport implications or other island-specific actions, should not be assumed from the national announcement alone.

Any local events or services affected by the strike will depend on subsequent announcements from unions, public authorities, transport operators and individual organisations.

The housing issue in the Balearic Islands

Housing affordability is particularly significant in the Balearic Islands, where high property prices and rents have become a major concern for residents.

In Ibiza, the pressure on the housing market has been repeatedly linked to the difficulty many workers face in finding long-term accommodation at prices compatible with local salaries.

The November 11 strike therefore comes at a time when housing remains one of the most prominent social and economic issues in Ibiza and across the islands.

Political and business reaction

The timing of the strike has attracted political and business debate because it falls immediately before the campaign for the November 29 general election.

The employers' organisations CEOE and Cepyme have questioned the call and its legal basis, arguing that the demands should primarily be addressed to public administrations rather than businesses.

The unions reject that interpretation and argue that wages and housing costs are directly connected to working people's economic conditions.

The legality of the strike and its formal implementation will follow the requirements established under Spanish labour law.

What happens next?

The November 11 strike is now the date established for the nationwide 24-hour stoppage.

Further details are expected concerning the participating organisations, local demonstrations, essential services and practical arrangements in different parts of Spain.

For Ibiza, the next announcements will be particularly relevant for workers, businesses, public services and anyone travelling around the island on November 11.