Unions and tenants plan three days of coordinated protests across seven European countries

Trade unions, tenants’ groups and social movements from seven European countries have agreed to coordinate three days of protests on 20, 21 and 22 November to demand cheaper housing, higher wages and pensions, and an end to rapid rearmament across the continent.

The coalition — bringing together organisations from Portugal, Belgium, Spain, France, Greece, Italy and the United Kingdom — lists a series of economic and social demands: caps on house prices and rents, stronger controls on food and energy costs, preservation of quality public services, protection of workers’ rights and higher taxation for the wealthiest.

Economic, social and environmental demands combined

Organisers also oppose a return to austerity policies they link to creditor demands on public debt, and they want a halt to further increases in military spending. A specific plank of their platform rejects further arming of European states and calls for an accelerated shift away from fossil fuels, tying economic grievances to social and environmental goals.

Representatives met in Paris to agree on joint action, and Portuguese media report the dates for the coordinated mobilisation. Tereza Mamede, a representative of the Lisbon tenants’ union and one of the spokespeople for the movement "Akampada", confirmed that a coordinated mobilisation in all participating countries has been agreed.

In a joint declaration organisers warned that housing is becoming less affordable while the rising cost of essentials and transport continues to squeeze household budgets. They say the burden of economic difficulties is increasingly falling on workers, pensioners and renters.

How far those demands will translate into mass street mobilisation and political pressure across different national contexts will be seen during the three days in November, French media analysis suggests.

Photo: press material from the event