The Second Vice President and Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz, expressed this Wednesday her "respect and support" for those who are participating in the 11N general strike for "a decent wage and affordable housing." In a thread of seven messages on Bluesky, the minister highlighted the role of unions in achievements such as the eight-hour workday and paid vacations. "Mobilizations open the way and then laws consolidate it," she wrote.
Díaz cited the "La Canadiense" strike, which in 1919 spread from an electric company in Barcelona to other sectors and ended up paralyzing a large part of the city's activity. On April 3 of that year, the Government approved the decree that set the maximum daily workday in Spain at eight hours. The vice president also recalled the feminist strikes of March 8 and how those mobilizations brought women's demands to the center of the public agenda.
🧵Conviene recordarlo hoy más que nunca. Ningún derecho laboral ha llegado como un regalo. Todo lo que hoy damos por normal, descansar el fin de semana, cobrar si te pones enfermo, jubilarte con una pensión... fue antes una reivindicación que personas trabajadoras y sindicatos defendieron.
— Yolanda Díaz (@yolandadiaz.bsky.social) 11 de noviembre de 2026 a las 14:19
Díaz's support comes in the first 24-hour general strike jointly called by Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) and the Unión General de Trabajadoras y Trabajadores (UGT) since November 2012. This time, they have joined the tenants' movement to bring the housing crisis to workplaces. Demands include containing rental costs, improving wages, and unblocking the negotiation of collective agreements.
The general secretaries of CCOO and UGT, Unai Sordo and Pepe Álvarez, have described the strike's turnout as a "success" and assure that it has exceeded their forecasts, with differences between territories and sectors. Initial union estimates place participation at 90% in the automotive industry and 82% in waste collection. The Confederation of Tenants' Unions estimates that around four million people have supported the strike, according to their provisional midday balance.
The minister had already called on staff and works councils on Friday to support the strike during a UGT conference. There, she argued that the protest over the cost of living should become a "wave of hope" and asked that this mobilization also be felt at the polls in the general elections on November 29.
Díaz reproaches the PP for mocking a fundamental right with an AI-created image
The Popular Party has published on its official X account an image generated with artificial intelligence in which alleged union members are seen eating seafood. "A critical moment of the strike is approaching... the appetizer," the party wrote. The message comes a day after the regional president of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, spoke of "union garbage" when referring to the organizers.
🧵 Es intolerable que un partido que aspira a gobernar España se burle de un derecho fundamental de la Constitución. La huelga nos dio la jornada de ocho horas, las vacaciones pagadas y los derechos de las mujeres. También para los votantes del PP.
— Yolanda Díaz (@yolandadiaz.bsky.social) 11 de noviembre de 2026 a las 14:19
"It is intolerable that a party that aspires to govern Spain makes fun of a fundamental right of the Constitution," Díaz replied. Article 28.2 recognizes the right of workers to strike to defend their interests. In her response, the minister gave examples of what unions do on a daily basis, such as calling an assembly or intervening from a works council in the face of abuse of staff.
The PSOE has also reproached the PP for the setup. Unai Sordo, for his part, responded to the publication and took the opportunity to address young people. The general secretary of CCOO has asked them to join the mobilization for decent housing, quality public services and access to training.
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