‘It’s just too expensive’: Housing and wages at the heart of Spain’s strike

Madrid, Spain – In central Madrid, business owners seemed to have taken note of the riots that erupted in Paris last month. “Housing is a fundamental problem”, Antonio, a teacher, tells us. “It consumes the majority of a working person’s wages.

Wages – or rather, the need for wage increases – are another fundamental issue. We are fighting for a combination of things: lower housing costs and higher wages.” The country’s youth council says that a young person would need to spend 98.7 percent of their monthly salary to rent a place on their own. Arturo, who is in his mid-30s, says he cannot afford a place of his own.

“It’s just too expensive, so I’m living with my parents. “Once you factor in the cost of food and basic living expenses, you’re left with almost nothing – maybe 100 euros [$110]. And that’s just not … sustainable in the long run.” “I am deeply concerned about the social rights of my students, their families, and my neighbours,” he says.