UGT calls for action on 11 November: “We don’t want a Fuerteventura that creates wealth while driving out the people who make it possible”

The union is urging the public to demonstrate in Puerto del Rosario on 11 November, calling for solutions to the housing crisis, decent wages and working conditions that allow people to build a life for themselves in Fuerteventura.

UGT Fuerteventura has issued a stark warning about the impact of rising housing costs on the island. The union says economic growth and tourism activity stand in contrast to the growing difficulty residents face in finding a home. It says the situation has become unsustainable and is urging the public to take to the streets on 11 November to demand solutions.

“We don’t want a Fuerteventura that creates wealth while driving out the people who make it possible,” UGT says in a press release. The union questions an approach that measures the island’s economic development solely by visitor numbers, business activity or tourism-sector profits, without taking residents’ living conditions into account.

The union warns that workers in hospitality, retail, healthcare, education and other essential services are finding it extremely difficult to afford housing on their wages. It says this is leading some professionals to turn down job offers because they cannot find somewhere to live, while many families are spending virtually all their income on rent.

“What is the point of having a job if we cannot afford to live on the island where we work?” UGT asks, arguing that housing, wages and working conditions must be tackled together.

The union also questions why shortages of staff in certain sectors continue to be discussed without addressing the reasons many workers cannot settle in Fuerteventura.

“We cannot keep talking about staff shortages without addressing an obvious reality: if people cannot live in Fuerteventura, it will be difficult for them to work here and build a life here,” it says.

An island where working no longer guarantees you can live there

UGT highlights the particular difficulties young people on Fuerteventura face in becoming independent, as well as the uncertainty families face as housing costs rise.

The union warns that more and more workers are considering leaving Fuerteventura because their incomes do not cover housing costs, while professionals needed to keep public and private services running face obstacles to moving to the island.

In response, it is calling for an expansion of public housing and affordable rentals, measures to bring empty homes into use, investment in renovation, and action to curb property speculation and protect homes for residential use.

These steps, it says, must be accompanied by higher wages, greater job security and collective agreements that take into account the actual cost of living in Fuerteventura.

“Having a job should allow us to live, not merely survive,” the press release says.

Call to join the demonstration on 11 November

María Auxiliadora Pérez Quevedo, general secretary of UGT Fuerteventura, is urging people across the island to join the demonstration called for Wednesday 11 November at 5.30pm in Puerto del Rosario.

The march will set off from the Island Directorate of the General State Administration, on Primero de Mayo Street. It aims to bring together workers, families, young people and those who have spent months looking for a home without finding an affordable option.

UGT stresses that the demonstration goes beyond the strictly trade-union sphere. It aims to defend residents’ right to stay on their island, start a family and build a future without housing costs becoming an insurmountable obstacle.

“We don’t want our sons and daughters to have to leave because they cannot afford to move out, or the professionals our island needs to have to give up working here because they cannot find accommodation,” the press release says.

The union is calling for those responsible to act and for concrete measures to ensure that Fuerteventura’s economic growth is matched by an improvement in residents’ living conditions.

“Fuerteventura is not just a tourist destination; it is our home. And our home must not become a privilege,” UGT concludes, urging the public to join the demonstration under the slogan “For the right to live on our island”.