Spain's CCOO and UGT trade unions say strike participation has 'exceeded' expectations and is already a 'success'

They said that the strike is proving "uneven", because the root cause (access to housing) might be a widespread issue but major cities and coastal areas feel it more accutely.

CC OO and UGT said that participation is lower in those sectors where the trade unions lack influence because, in those companies, there is not really any freedom to join the strikes. "There are many people who cannot go on strike because their participation is conditional on renewing their contract or because they have a boss who takes coercive measures," CC OO general secretary Unai Sordo said.

Despite this, the trade unionist stated that this Wednesday resembles "a Sunday", with fewer people on the street. For the general secretary of the UGT, Pepe Álvarez, the strike is going "better" than the organisers expected because the reasons are "just". He said that the strike has been "overwhelming" in regions such as Catalonia, parts of the Mediterranean coast and Madrid.

At this stage, the trade unions estimate that participation ranges from 41 per cent in regions such as Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura to over 80 per cent, in others such as Catalonia and Andalucía, although even in areas such as Illescas (Toledo) or Guadalajara participation in the logistics sector stands at 75 per cent.

The industries with the highest levels of participation are energy-intensive industries, manufacturing, the automotive sector, petrochemicals and the meat industry, among other strategic sectors such as logistics, refuse collection and transport.

"People can see that our right to public services is at stake," Pepe Álvarez told the press during the main picket line on Gran Vía. He also called on those criticising the strike to "tone it down, pay attention and listen to the people" who are backing a strike that represents an "intergenerational embrace" by unionised workers towards young people, in the face of the deterioration of public services and the ever-increasing difficulties in accessing housing. Currently, the rate of young people leaving home is at its lowest level.

Both general secretaries described the police's behaviour at Wednesday morning's information pickets as "unacceptable". Security forces used pepper spray against demonstrators who had turned up to inform workers about the day of protests. The CC OO secretary said that they will take the matter to court.

"Guaranteeing the right to strike means guaranteeing the right of picketers to explain the reason for the protest," Pepe Álvarez said. Sordo described the police response as "unjustified", given that the protesters were, "at worst", merely preventing lorries from leaving during the Mercamadrid information picket.

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