Spain's two biggest unions, UGT and CCOO, have called a 24-hour general strike for Wednesday 11 November — the first joint walkout they've backed in 14 years, and it lands just weeks before a snap election. The trigger is housing: unions argue workers can no longer afford rents, a tension that has been building since protests over the eviction of an 87-year-old Madrid woman who had lived in her home for 70 years.
For travellers, the practical risk is transport. No specific walkouts have been confirmed, but past Spanish general strikes have involved airport ground staff, air traffic controllers and cabin crew. Lufthansa Group has already warned passengers to expect cancellations and delays on flights to and from Spain, advising everyone to check their flight status before travelling. If you're booked with Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, Brussels, Eurowings or Discover and your flight is cancelled, you can rebook once free of charge or claim a refund.
On the ground, disruption is likely to be broader. Renfe and high-speed AVE services, metro systems and city buses are expected to face severe disruption, running only on minimum service schedules. Museums, shops, restaurants and pharmacies may shut for the day, so anyone travelling on 11 November should stock up on essentials in advance and confirm any bookings directly with operators.
Big cities are where the political energy will be most visible. Madrid and Barcelona are expected to see large demonstrations that could block streets and snarl traffic — representatives from Airbus and hotel chain Ilunion were among those at the assembly that called the strike, hinting at how wide the participation could be. The UK's Foreign Office travel advice notes that demonstrations in Spain can happen with little warning, are usually peaceful but carry a risk of unrest, and urges British nationals to follow police instructions and move away if things turn disorderly. The US Embassy has made similar points, telling travellers to expect delays and last-minute closures.
If your trip overlaps with the strike, a little preparation goes a long way. Check with your airline the night before and again on the morning of travel; if you're flying via a hub like Frankfurt or Munich with a Lufthansa Group carrier, know your rebooking rights before you get to the airport. Build buffer time into any train connections, especially AVE high-speed legs, and don't plan anything time-critical — a museum visit, a car hire pickup, a guided tour — for the strike day itself. If you're staying in central Madrid or Barcelona, ask your hotel which streets to avoid during marches.
The strike is one day, so most itineraries will shrug it off with some delay and a changed plan or two. But the underlying housing tensions that sparked it are unlikely to disappear quickly, and further protests in major cities are plausible. Worth monitoring local news if you're travelling in Spain this winter.
Story first reported by The Independent Travel.
