GENERAL STRIKE

Broad support for the general strike on 17 March: the fight continues

Apr 01, 2026

The general strike on 17 March was proof of the organised strength of the working class in the Hego Euskal Herria (Basque Country and Navarre). The call promoted by the unions ELA, LAB, Steilas, Hiru and Etxalde under the slogan ‘Gutxieneko soldata hemen erabaki. SMI 1.500 €. Mejorar salarios para repartir la riqueza’ (‘Decide the minimum wage here. IMW 1.500 €. Improving wages to distribute wealth’) has been widely followed in many strategic sectors, evidencing the deep discontent that exists in the face of the deterioration of living and working conditions.

The call, which has also had the support of more than 100 social agents and citizen movements, has had specific demands: the requirement to establish a Minimum Wage decided in Euskal Herria of at least €1,500, which responds to the socio-economic reality of the country.

Since the early hours of the morning, thousands of union delegates, along with militants and workers, joined the information pickets in industrial estates, logistics centers, shops and work centers. The objective has been clear: to explain the reasons for the strike and to reinforce the need to organize collectively in front of employers and institutions that want to impose Spanish labour legislation to further precarize the Basque working class.

The strike turnout has been particularly significant in the industry, with significant stops at numerous workplaces, especially in Gipuzkoa, as well as in the public sector, education and various services. The strike achieved a very high follow-up in the schools, exceeding 80 per cent in some sections and standing at around 60 per cent among teachers. In many workplaces the activity has been severely reduced or completely paralysed. This turnout confirms that there is a growing awareness among the working class that social progress is only achieved through mobilization and organized conflict.

The streets have also been the scene of massive participation. More than 125,000 people have demonstrated in different cities and regions of Euskal Herria, with mass demonstrations in Bilbao, Donostia, Gasteiz and Iruñea, as well as in numerous towns. Throughout the country, demonstrations have gathered thousands of people both in the morning and in the afternoon, showing sustained high support throughout the day. The marches have been composed of columns of workers from different sectors, reflecting the transversal nature of the protest and the broad social support for the claims raised.

For ELA, the strike of March 17 reaffirms the need to continue strengthening union organizing in the workplace and to continue promoting social mobilization. Days like this show that when the working class is organized and mobilized, it is able to pave the way. This general strike is not an end: the fight for decent living conditions and a minimum wage decided in Euskal Herria will go on.