The mandatory mediation session took place on 15 October before SIMA, with trade-union representatives and CEOE and Cepyme. No agreement was reached to call off the strike. The notice to the competent labour authority therefore remains in progress.
Strike call and duration
The strike is scheduled for Wednesday, 11 November 2026, from 00:00 to 24:00. Companies operating shift systems should check the specific terms of the call. Employees are not required to notify the company in advance and there is no statutory individual notice period.
The organisations calling the strike must give five calendar days’ notice, or ten days where public services are affected, excluding notification and start dates. An employee may decide to join on the day itself. A company may not unilaterally determine that the strike is unlawful. Unless a court rules otherwise, the legitimate exercise of the fundamental right must be respected, without sanctions, dismissal or retaliation.
Exercise of the right to strike
The right to strike does not require employer authorisation. The company may organise operations but may not require a binding declaration or retaliate. Employees designated for minimum services must comply while the designation remains in force, without prejudice to challenge.
Minimum services and continuity of operations
Essential services are activities whose interruption may affect fundamental rights or constitutionally protected interests, including certain healthcare, care, emergency and transport services. Minimum services are fixed by the competent authority. Affected companies must comply and make the necessary designations. As at the date of preparation of this alert, the approval and publication, where applicable, of the relevant minimum-service decisions for the strike of 11 November 2026 remain pending, both at national level and in Catalonia.
Salary deductions during the strike
Base salary and allowances: a proportional deduction applies for time not worked, according to accrual rules.
Additional salary payments: the proportion attributable to the strike may be deducted by reference to the accrual period, without duplication where prorated.
Weekly rest: the proportion linked to the strike period may be deducted.
Public holidays and annual leave: annual leave is not reduced and public holidays outside the strike period are not deducted.
Non-salary items: expenses not incurred because of non-attendance do not accrue, including remote-working allowances or meal expenses.
Attendance allowances and variable incentives
Strike participation may not automatically be treated as absenteeism for reducing attendance bonuses unless the collective bargaining agreement expressly provides for it. Attendance allowances may not be reduced automatically. Variable incentives require review of the accrual rules and may not generally be lost automatically or disproportionately. Allowances linked to work actually performed are paid according to services provided.
Social Security treatment
During a lawful strike, the employment relationship is not terminated. The employee remains in a special registered status for Social Security purposes; no final deregistration is processed, and the contribution obligation is suspended for a full-strike period.
The company must identify employees who actually took part and report periods of strike-related inactivity to the General Treasury of Social Security through the RED System. Salary treatment and Social Security reporting are separate obligations. The maximum reporting period is six days from the inactivity date.
Overlap with annual leave, temporary incapacity and paid leave
Approved annual leave: the day remains annual leave, with no strike-related deduction and no right to recover it later.
Temporary incapacity: if it began before the strike, the benefit continues. If common-contingency incapacity begins during a lawful strike, payment begins once the strike ends.
Paid leave: ordinary rules continue where requirements are met and there is no actual strike participation. Requests made or amended after announcement should be reviewed individually.
Minimum services: designated employees must work and receive the corresponding remuneration.
