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Diari de Catalunya

Barcelona Prepares for May 1, 2026 Mobilizations

Various unions have called for marches in the Catalan capital to demand labor and social improvements on Workers' Day.

Generic image of a demonstration with a blurred crowd and protest signs.
IA

Generic image of a demonstration with a blurred crowd and protest signs.

Barcelona will host several demonstrations on May 1, 2026, International Workers' Day, with unions such as CCOO, UGT, CGT, Intersindical, and USOC mobilizing to demand labor and social improvements.

As every year, the Catalan capital will be the scene of various marches called by the main trade union organizations. The common goal is to demand improvements in working conditions, protest against precariousness and the loss of purchasing power, and demand dignified access to housing.
The mobilizations will begin in the morning with the joint march of Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) and the Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT). This protest will start at 11:30 AM from Plaça d'Urquinaona and will end at Plaça de Correus, along Ronda de Sant Pere. The slogan chosen by both unions is “Against wars and fascism, more rights and more unionism,” emphasizing the international situation and its impact on housing access and the loss of purchasing power.
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"The international situation exacerbates the difficulties of the working class in accessing affordable housing. Furthermore, they denounce the loss of purchasing power and demand an increase in wages and a reduction in working hours."

a union spokesperson
For its part, the Confederación General del Trabajo (CGT) will commemorate 90 years since the publication of the magazine Mujeres Libres and the popular uprising against Franco's coup d'état. Their march in Barcelona will also begin at 11:30 AM from Jardinets de Gràcia and will conclude at Plaça d'en Joanic, where the manifesto will be read. The union criticizes that the quality of life for workers is not improving and that housing has become a luxury.
The Intersindical has also called a protest for 11:30 AM, starting at Plaça de Tetuan. This organization focuses on the loss of purchasing power, especially among women, the increase in housing prices (both rental and purchase), and the lack of investment in the Rodalies service. The Unión Sindical Obrera (USOC), for its part, will begin its march at 11:30 AM in Plaça de Mossèn Jacint Verdaguer, proceeding along Passeig de Sant Joan to Carrer de Sant Antoni Maria Claret, under the slogan “Humanizing work.”
Finally, the Taula Sindical de Catalunya, which brings together various alternative unions such as CGT Catalunya, IAC, COS, CoBas, Solidaritat Obrera, and the Intersindical, has organized a unified demonstration in the afternoon. This march will begin at 5:30 PM in Plaça del Canonge Rodó, at the exit of the Renfe del Clot station, with the slogan “Neither salaries on the floor, nor housing in the clouds.”

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