Spain enters a disrupted week. Train drivers strike today, a nationwide general strike follows tomorrow and doctors plan walkouts later this month, while Madrid and Seville get ready for Christmas.
City news
Madrid seeks extra palliative care places to cut waiting lists
The Comunidad de Madrid, the regional government, is fast-tracking an urgent palliative care contract to add 14,600 places and reduce waiting lists. It is putting out a new Acuerdo Marco (framework agreement) to tender because the previous one attracted no bids. The contract renews the region’s outsourced medium-stay care service. Health care is run by the regions, so this affects patients in the Madrid region’s public system only.
Source: 20minutos Madrid
Giant angels come to calle Velázquez
In Madrid, a group of giant angels with 156,000 lights will span calle Velázquez for the first time this Christmas. The street gets a new design this year. The angels in front of the Metrópolis building on Gran Vía and at Plaza Castilla will also be lit.
Source: 20minutos Madrid
Seville sets the date for its Christmas lights
Seville will switch on its Christmas lights on Friday 27 November. That is also Black Friday and two days before the general election on the 29th, so expect busy streets in the city centre that weekend.
Source: 20minutos Sevilla
San Laureano church reopens as a cultural venue
In Seville, Mayor Sanz visited the second phase of restoration work on the San Laureano church, which is coming back into use after 21 years. It will become a cultural space for more than 200 people, hosting workshops, talks and exhibitions among other uses.
Source: 20minutos Sevilla
Strikes, protests and transport disruption
Doctors add their own walkouts to November’s strikes
Spain’s doctors will stage walkouts this month, on top of the planned rail strikes and the general strike on 11 November. The Local Spain has published a guide to the dates and to how patients will be affected.
Source: The Local Spain
Minimum rail services set for the general strike
The Ministerio de Transportes y Movilidad Sostenible has set compulsory minimum services for the Renfe group during the nationwide general strike on 11 November. Up to 75% of Cercanías (commuter rail) services and 73% of high-speed services must run. Even so, travellers should expect fewer trains than usual.
Source: Europa Press Economía
Your rights and duties during the 11N strike
Tomorrow’s general strike, known as 11N, is the first called by Spain’s main unions in 14 years. elDiario.es links it to the housing crisis and has published a guide to workers’ common questions: whether you must tell your employer you are striking, how much pay is deducted, what happens to that day’s Social Security contributions and whether you can be dismissed.
Source: elDiario.es
Three days of rail disruption in Seville
In Seville, today’s train drivers’ strike, called by the Semaf union, runs until 23:59. It will be repeated on Thursday in three time slots, and Wednesday falls on the general strike. Renfe is allowing free changes and cancellations of tickets.
Source: Diario de Sevilla
Train drivers walk out today
The Sindicato Español de Maquinistas Ferroviarios (Semaf), the train drivers’ union, has called a 24-hour strike across the Grupo Renfe for today, 10 November. The union says it is pressing the demands of train drivers, one day before the general strike.
Source: Europa Press
Cost of living
Readers say the minimum wage rise falls short
The Spanish government is preparing to raise the minimum wage for 2027. The Local Spain asked readers what they thought, and the headline view was that the increase is “not sufficient”.
Source: The Local Spain
What it means for foreign residents
- If you have a Renfe journey booked from today to Thursday, check whether it is affected, and remember that Renfe offers free changes and cancellations (Diario de Sevilla).
- Expect only partial Cercanías and high-speed services during tomorrow’s general strike (Europa Press Economía).
- If you have a medical appointment this month, check whether the doctors’ walkouts could affect it (The Local Spain).
- Employees wondering how striking affects their pay or Social Security contributions can read the guide to rights and duties (elDiario.es).
Spain Today is a curated digest: we summarise and link, the reporting belongs to the publications named. Something wrong or missing? Tell us.
Sources
- 20minutos Madrid: La sanidad madrileña tramita un contrato urgente en cuidados paliativos para añadir 14.600 plazas y combatir las listas de espera, accessed 10 November 2026
- 20minutos Madrid: Un grupo de ángeles gigantes cruzará la calle Velázquez esta Navidad con 156.000 luces, accessed 10 November 2026
- 20minutos Sevilla: Sevilla encenderá sus luces de Navidad el viernes 27 de noviembre, accessed 10 November 2026
- 20minutos Sevilla: Sanz recupera la iglesia de San Laureano 21 años después como espacio cultural con aforo para más de 200 personas, accessed 10 November 2026
- The Local Spain: What you need to know about Spain's November doctor strikes, accessed 10 November 2026
- Europa Press Economía: Transportes fija servicios mínimos en Renfe de hasta el 75% en Cercanías y del 73% en AVE, accessed 10 November 2026
- elDiario.es: ¿Tengo que informar si falto al trabajo? ¿Hay servicios mínimos? Guía de derechos y deberes en la huelga del 11N, accessed 10 November 2026
- Diario de Sevilla: Huelga de maquinistas de Renfe: paros, horarios y trenes afectados en Sevilla, accessed 10 November 2026
- Europa Press: Los maquinistas llaman a secundar este martes una huelga en Renfe, un día antes de la huelga general del 11N, accessed 10 November 2026
- The Local Spain: 'It's not sufficient': Your views on Spain's minimum wage increase, accessed 10 November 2026
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