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No parliamentary procedures are necessary to call a general strike in Spain. The Congress and the Senate do not have to authorize, approve, or vote on its call. The strike is a right of the workers, and its exercise follows a labor procedure, not a legislative procedure.

Therefore, the practical question is not what Parliament must do, but who can call it and what requirements must be met. That a strike has a general scope, affects numerous sectors, or challenges the Government's policy does not make its call a decision of the Cortes.

Who can call it

Trade unions with presence in the affected area can call a strike. There are also ways to call it through workers' representatives and by agreement of the workers themselves, according to applicable requirements. In a general strike, the call is usually organized through trade union organizations.

It is important to distinguish between calling and participating: the calling organization promotes the strike, but each worker individually decides whether to join. It is not necessary to be a member of the union calling it to participate, nor can a parliamentary vote replace that decision.

What actions are necessary

• Adopt the call agreement. It must be done by a legitimized subject, identifying the scope of the strike and its objectives. It is important to specify which workers, activities, and territory it is directed at.
• Communicate it in writing. The call must be notified to the affected employers and the competent labor authority. In a general strike, the communication must be adapted to its scope and the corresponding employer representation.
• Respect the advance notice. As a general rule, the communication must be made at least five calendar days in advance. When it affects companies in charge of public services, the period is at least ten calendar days.
• Specify its content. The communication must include the objectives of the strike, the efforts made to resolve the conflict, the start date, and the composition of the strike committee.
• Constitute the strike committee. It is the body that represents the strikers during the conflict and intervenes in actions aimed at finding a solution.

The advance notice is not a request for permission. Informing the labor authority allows compliance with legal requirements and organizing the corresponding measures, but it does not mean that the Government must grant prior authorization to exercise the right.

Essential services and limits

If the strike affects essential services for the community, the competent government authority may establish minimum services, that is, services that must be maintained to protect other constitutional rights and goods. These are not an approval of the strike nor a competence of Parliament. Their scope must be justified and proportionate, and they can be challenged in court.

Furthermore, these minimum services must be distinguished from security and maintenance tasks necessary to avoid harm to people, facilities, or goods. The call does not eliminate the legal limits of the right to strike: the legality of its objectives and development can be examined by the courts.

What role can Parliament have

The Congress and the Senate can debate the causes of the conflict, oversee the Government's actions, or process legal changes related to the demands. However, none of these actions constitute a requirement to call the strike.

In summary: it is not necessary to present a parliamentary initiative or obtain a majority of deputies or senators. What is necessary is a legitimate call and compliance with communications, deadlines, and corresponding labor guarantees.

The general secretary of CCOO is its main public representative and directs union action within the collective decisions of the organization. Unai Sordo has held the position since 2017. His background is primarily union-related, not in public office: it is important to distinguish his political influence from a career in parties, governments, or parliaments.

What functions does the general secretary have?

The position combines representation, internal leadership, and negotiation. Its main responsibilities can be summarized in five areas:

• Represent CCOO: act as interlocutor before the Government, administrations, employer organizations, other unions, and international institutions, as well as serve as the main spokesperson before society.
• Guide union action: promote priorities on wages, employment, collective bargaining, pensions, equality, and public services. This guidance must align with agreements approved by confederal bodies and congresses.
• Coordinate the organization: foster coherent action among sectoral federations and territorial organizations, and promote the execution of work plans and congress resolutions.
• Lead social dialogue: participate in negotiations with the Executive and employers on labor policies and social protection, together with the union's specialized officials.
• Promote mobilization: publicly defend union demands and promote campaigns and protests according to the organization's decisions.

Therefore, it is not a leadership without checks and balances: the Executive Commission, the Confederal Council, and the Congress participate in defining and approving decisions. The information from the 2025 congress shows this distribution between leader election, statute approval, and goal setting.

Unai Sordo's union career

Born in Barakaldo in 1972, Sordo holds a diploma in Social Graduate from the University of the Basque Country and worked in the wood sector before dedicating himself professionally to the union. His rise first took place in Euskadi, as detailed in this 2017 biographical profile.

• 2000-2004: Youth Secretary of CCOO of Euskadi, also participating in organizational tasks in Bizkaia.
• 2004-2009: Territorial manager of Bizkaia, a stage linked to union organization and expansion.
• 2009-2017: General Secretary of CCOO of Euskadi, elected in January 2009 and re-elected in 2013. He also presided over the Interregional Trade Union Council of the Atlantic Pyrenees, dedicated to cross-border cooperation.
• Since 2017: General Secretary of the CCOO Trade Union Confederation, succeeding Ignacio Fernández Toxo. He was re-elected in 2021 and in June 2025, the latter time with 96.11% support, for a third and final term planned until 2029.

What is his political trajectory?

In the sources consulted, no elected positions or governmental responsibilities of Sordo are recorded. His political dimension comes from representing labor interests and participating in debates on wages, pensions, taxation, public services, and housing, not from holding a parliamentary mandate.

His possible entry into an electoral project has been subject to speculation. In July 2026, he ruled out making the leap with Sumar and reiterated his intention to complete the union mandate, according to these statements collected by Demócrata. Later, in an interview published on November 9, he acknowledged conversations to join a political project. Those conversations do not equate to having assumed a position or candidacy.

In summary, Sordo has built his career within CCOO: he has influence over public policies as a social interlocutor, but his current responsibility remains union-related.

In Spain, a company must respect the decision to work of those who do not support a general strike and adopt reasonable measures so they can do so safely. But this obligation does not allow replacing strikers or guaranteeing normal activity at any cost: it must be compatible with the right to strike.

1. Respect both rights

The main framework is in articles 28.2 and 35.1 of the Constitution and Royal Decree-Law 17/1977 on labor relations. The company must allow the labor provision of non-strikers, without pressure to participate or refrain from participating in the strike. It also cannot sanction, discriminate, or retaliate against those who legitimately exercise that right.

The right to work does not mean demanding that the entire company operate normally. The STC 17/2017 allows maintaining possible activity through lawful conduct but limits the use of organizational powers to neutralize the strike.

2. Organize work and protect access

• Facilitate available work: reasonably organize the activity of those who attend, respecting their functions and applicable labor conditions.
• Communicate operational measures: inform about access, schedules, open centers, and necessary security measures, without turning that communication into an anti-strike campaign.
• Prevent risks: adopt proportionate safety and coordination measures against incidents, threats, or blockades. It must not unjustifiably prevent access or close the center simply because there is a call.

These actions are organizational and protective measures; they do not constitute authorization to cover the positions of those who stop. Their scope depends on the real conditions of the center and existing risks.

3. Do not replace strikers

Article 6.5 of Royal Decree-Law 17/1977 prohibits replacing them with workers who were not linked to the company when the strike was communicated, except for the legal exception related to failure to comply with security and maintenance services. Therefore, hiring external personnel to cover their tasks generally constitutes external strikebreaking.

It is also prohibited to use own workers to perform tasks belonging to strikers and thus reduce the effectiveness of the strike: this is internal strikebreaking. The prohibition can reach voluntary actions, not only company orders. This is stated in STC 33/2011. It is not enough, therefore, to argue that all employees used previously belonged to the staff.

4. Distinguish minimum services and maintenance

The company cannot unilaterally establish minimum services to preserve its ordinary production. Two situations must be distinguished:

• Essential services for the community: minimums are set by the competent government authority. They must be justified and proportionate; the company executes the resolution without arbitrarily extending its scope.
• Security and maintenance: article 6.7 allows guaranteeing the protection of people, goods, machinery, facilities, and raw materials, as well as the subsequent resumption of tasks. Its specification requires participation of the strike committee and does not allow covert maintenance of usual activity.

5. Avoid reprisals and assume responsibilities

Measures that violate the strike or union freedom may lead to a fundamental rights protection claim, cessation of the conduct, and compensation. Dismissals or discriminatory decisions may be declared null. There may also be administrative sanctions and, when criminal conduct occurs, criminal liability.

In summary: the company must facilitate safe and coercion-free work, but not ensure productive continuity through replacements or abusive minimum services.