Barcelona is the focus today as a coalition of housing and labour groups carries out a large-scale cost of living survey across Catalonia. More than 1,800 volunteers are visiting 42 municipalities to ask residents about housing costs, wages and support for a possible general strike.
The initiative is being led by the Platform for Decent Work and Housing, which includes the Catalan Tenants' Union, the Catalan Housing Trade Union Confederation (COSHAC) and the Platform for People Affected by Mortgages (PAH). It forms part of the group's news campaign, “Living is costing us our lives”.
Organisers said 1,806 registered volunteers are taking part, with teams working in squares, streets and homes. New participation points have been added in Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Sentmenat, El Prat de Llobregat and Montcada i Reixac, alongside the locations originally planned.
The groups behind the survey say rising housing costs and stagnant wages have made daily life harder for many working people. They argue that the pressure of rent and mortgages on family finances stands in contrast to rising corporate profits in recent years.
The platform plans to present the initial results this afternoon at a public event in Plaça de Can Fabra, Barcelona, once responses have been collected and processed. The survey is also intended to gauge public support for a general strike and to identify the main concerns linked to the cost of living.
The organisers say they want to widen the debate beyond trade union and housing activism circles. They say the survey is a way to measure public sentiment at a time when many households are facing higher living costs and lower purchasing power.