Do Mercadona, Carrefour and Lidl open on 11 November? Supermarkets and shops during the strike

As of November 10, 2026, the demands of the general strike on November 11 do not have a single parliamentary path: the new housing decrees are pending ratification, other initiatives expired with the dissolution of the Cortes, and several labor demands depend on the Government or collective bargaining, not on a parliamentary vote. The immediate date is November 12, when the Permanent Deputation will decide on the two housing decrees.

Housing: two decrees pending vote

It is necessary to distinguish the rejected texts from the new ones. The Royal Decree-Laws 26/2026 and 27/2026, of September 29, on the social function of housing and stability of leases, were repealed by the Congress on October 2. Their processing ended: they are no longer awaiting approval. This is recorded in the Congress bulletin.

The Government later approved two new texts, published on October 7:

• Royal Decree-Law 28/2026, adopting urgent measures to reinforce the stability of contracts for primary residence leases.
• Royal Decree-Law 29/2026, adopting urgent measures for the protection of the social function of housing and the expansion of affordable housing supply.

Both have been in force since their publication but are pending ratification: the vote that decides whether they are maintained or repealed. With the Cortes dissolved, this responsibility falls to the Permanent Deputation, which will debate them on November 12, at 9:00, according to the Congress call. They are not in the amendment phase nor pending Senate approval.

Other residential reforms: expired

The dissolution on October 6 ended the processing of several proposals related to demands for affordable rent, stability, and combating speculation:

• The regulation of temporary rentals and rooms —122/000136—, which already had published amendments.
• The proposal to promote affordable rent —122/000196—, with fiscal measures and mobilization of public assets.
• The proposal for prevention of speculation and guarantees of housing as a social good —122/000102—.
• The reform of IBI linked to the right to housing —122/000278— and the guarantee of residential use in Illes Balears —122/000289—.
• The project on suspension of evictions for vulnerable groups —121/000024—: its processing as a law expired, which does not equate to repealing the previously ratified decree.

Therefore, they should not be presented as reforms still being negotiated in committee; a new initiative would be needed. The dissolution is recorded in the Official State Gazette (BOE) of October 6.

Labor conditions: different paths

• Reduction of working hours: the consulted coverage records its parliamentary rejection. There is no active new initiative that currently places it in a working group, committee, or Senate.
• Occupational risk prevention: the reform did not reach Congress before dissolution. It remains a demand for government promotion, not a law pending vote.
• Time registration: it was proposed by royal decree, so it can continue through government channels without parliamentary ratification. The reform to prevent supplements from absorbing minimum wage increases still lacked accredited resolution, according to Demócrata.
• Minimum wage and agreements: the requested 7% increase for 2027 depends on a government royal decree; increases from 4% to 7%, inflation guarantees, and housing supplements depend on agreements with employers. They are not automatically approved increases, explains Demócrata.

Under Spanish labor legislation, UGT and CCOO do not have "competencies" in the sense of a public administration, but exercise the powers that the Constitution and laws recognize to all unions, reinforced by their status as most representative trade union organizations at the state level. Their powers derive from:

• The Constitution (arts. 7 and 28): recognizes unions as a fundamental channel for participation in political, economic, and social life, and guarantees trade union freedom.
• The Organic Law on Trade Union Freedom (LOLS) and the Workers' Statute (ET): regulate their actions within companies and collective bargaining.

1. Representation of workers within the company

In ordinary labor matters, CCOO and UGT act through:

• Personnel delegates and works councils, elected by workers. Although candidacies can be from any union, in practice many are promoted by CCOO and UGT, giving them broad representative presence.
• Trade union sections within companies, grouping members and sympathizers, which can appoint union delegates with rights to information, union action, paid hours, and dismissal protection.

Through these structures, their main functions are:

• Receiving information about the company's progress (staff, contracts, restructurings, etc.).
• Being consulted on decisions such as substantial modifications of conditions, employment regulation files, collective transfers, or work calendars.
• Defending individual and collective rights before the company, promoting claims and collective conflicts.

2. Collective bargaining

One of the core functions of CCOO and UGT is the negotiation of collective agreements. The legislation:

• Recognizes unions' legitimacy to negotiate company, sectoral, or other scope agreements.
• Grants a reinforced role to the “most representative unions”. CCOO and UGT hold this status at the state level because they exceed the representativeness thresholds set by law in union elections.

This translates into the fact that frequently:

• They lead the negotiation of sectoral agreements at the state and regional levels.
• They participate in interconfederal agreements and framework pacts with employer organizations that set criteria on wages, ultra-activity, stable employment, subcontracting, telework, etc.

The agreements they sign have binding force for companies and workers within the agreed scope, forming part of the "labor law" applicable as a general rule, below the law but above the individual contract if it improves its conditions.

3. Social dialogue and influence on public policies

Due to their status as most representative unions, CCOO and UGT have specific institutional interlocution powers:

• They formally participate in social dialogue with the Government and employer organizations (for example, in agreements on minimum wages, pensions, temporary employment regulation files, or labor reforms).
• They are part of consultative and institutional participation bodies, such as the Economic and Social Council or other sectoral councils (employment, social security, vocational training, risk prevention, equality, etc.).
• They can submit reports, proposals, and observations in regulatory processes and economic and social policy plans.

They do not enact norms, but their signature in tripartite agreements with the Government can serve as a basis for legal or regulatory reforms, and legislation recognizes this consultative role precisely because of their representativeness.

4. Defense of rights, collective conflict, and strike

CCOO and UGT also perform functions of legal defense and collective pressure:

• They provide legal advice and defense to affiliated workers and often to non-affiliated workers before labor courts.
• They are legitimized to file collective conflicts when a company or administration breaches labor laws or agreements.
• They play a central role in the calling and organizing of strikes, both in specific companies and general or sectoral strikes, and in other pressure measures (demonstrations, gatherings, public campaigns).

5. Action in specific areas

Within the general legal framework, CCOO and UGT have developed specialized functions in:

• Occupational risk prevention: presence in safety and health committees, monitoring compliance with prevention regulations, and promoting a preventive culture.
• Equality and non-discrimination: negotiation and monitoring of equality plans, protocols against harassment, work-life balance, and shared responsibility.
• Vocational training and employment: participation in employment training systems, active policies, job orientation, and programs for vulnerable groups.

6. Limits and union pluralism

All these functions are exercised within a system of union pluralism. Any union that meets legal requirements can compete in representative elections and participate in negotiation. CCOO and UGT are not public bodies nor have a legal monopoly, but their broad electoral representation means that, in practice, they concentrate a very relevant part of the union competencies provided in Spanish labor legislation.

A general strike in Spain does not require prior administrative authorization, but it does require a valid call, written communication and advance notice, as well as respect for essential services. Its basic framework is Article 28.2 of the Constitution and Royal Decree-Law 17/1977, on labor relations, interpreted according to STC 11/1981 and subsequent jurisprudence.

1. Legitimate callers and valid agreement

Strikes can be called by unions with presence in the affected scope, workers' representatives, and the workers themselves through collective agreement. In a general strike, legitimacy must correspond to the scope of the call: a works council alone does not represent all workers in the country.

• Union call: must be approved by the competent body according to its statutes and internal majorities. A national vote of all workers or union unanimity is not required.
• Workers' representatives: must adopt the agreement by majority.
• Direct call: requires a majority agreement through secret ballot, according to applicable rules.

A valid general call does not require each company to ratify it. Each worker included in its scope decides individually whether to participate.

2. Purpose related to labor interests

The strike must defend professional, economic, or social interests of the workers. Protesting against Government decisions does not automatically make it illegal: demands on employment, pensions, or labor conditions may be protected by the right to strike.

Purely political purposes completely unrelated to those interests are excluded. There are also limits for strikes aimed solely at modifying what is agreed in a current collective agreement, whose application requires attention to the specific object of the conflict.

3. Written communication and advance notice

The call must be communicated in writing to the affected employers and the competent labor authority. In strikes of supra-company scope, communication can be channeled through the corresponding employer organizations, without notifying each company individually.

• General rule: at least five calendar days' advance notice.
• Companies providing public services: at least ten calendar days. In a general strike including them, this period must be respected for that scope.

The communication must include the objectives, efforts made to resolve differences, start date, and composition of the strike committee. It must clearly identify who calls it, the territorial and professional scope, and the expected duration or its indefinite nature. In public services, necessary publicity must also be given so users know about the call.

4. Strike committee and negotiation

A strike committee must be designated to act as interlocutor. From the advance notice, the committee and employer representation must negotiate to try to reach an agreement, although it is not mandatory to achieve it before starting the stoppage.

Additionally, indispensable work must be guaranteed for the safety of people and property, conservation of facilities, and subsequent resumption of activity.

5. Essential services and freedom to work

Minimum services are established by the competent governmental authority, with motivation and proportionality; the employer cannot impose them unilaterally. They must protect essential community services, not necessarily maintain all ordinary activity. Designated workers must comply with them.

The freedom of those who do not join the strike must also be respected. Peaceful information and persuasion are protected; violence, coercion, and damage are not. The call also does not eliminate specific strike prohibitions for certain groups, such as military and members of security forces.

6. Consequences of non-compliance

Courts can declare a strike illegal due to its purpose or substantial breaches, but not every minor defect automatically causes illegality. Individual sanctions require assessing conduct and its severity; not every business loss results in compensation. In a legal strike, participation is not punishable, although the corresponding salary is deducted.