Catalonia Goes on Strike amid Growing Tension in Spain

The strike was called by Catalan trade unions and associations due to what they called "the grave violation of rights and freedoms" seen during Sunday's ballot.

Large trade unions have organized the strike, calling on all members of Catalan society to take part following what they called a violation of citizens' rights and freedoms following the Spanish government's attempts to thwart the vote.

Tuesday's strike, a reaction to the violence, will see public transport, schools and clinics in Catalonia closed for the day.

Barcelona's famous football team is also expected to go on strike, although it is not due to play a match, as are the city's public universities and contemporary art museum.

The move will likely bring much of the wealthy Spanish region to a standstill, a move bound to ratchet up tensions with the Spanish government.

A number of large workers' unions are set to take part in the strike on Tuesday and the standstill will have an economic impact - Catalonia accounts for around 20 percent of Spain's entire gross domestic product (GDP) and a quarter of its exports – making it no small deal for Spain if the strike is observed by a large number of Catalonia's 7.5 million population.

Analysts believe that the general strike in Catalonia is not a popular support for the referendum but it is the Catalans reaction to police crackdown in the referendum day.

Spanish riot police reportedly used rubber bullets and batons against members of the public trying to vote on Sunday, as well as storming polling stations to seize ballot boxes. A total of 893 people were injured as a result of the crackdown, according to the Catalan Department for Health.

With Catalonia able to take the moral high ground for now given the fierce crackdown from the government on Sunday, pro-independence sentiment has not been dented and has possibly increased.

In this regard, Miriam Tey, vice president of Societal Civil Catalana, a political group that's opposed to independence, told CNBC that dialogue was now crucial.

"The saddest thing, apart from the injuries of people, was that dialogue was broken and society broken up as well," she told CNBC on Monday, saying that the most positive outcome was to return to dialogue.

Mayor of Barcelona Ada Colau also told CNBC on Monday that even though she wasn't pro-independence, the Catalan people deserved to have a vote on the matter.

"What we need is a democratic response. And we need a political solution. And we need an inclusive solution that listens to the cries of millions of people," Colau said, adding to calls for Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to step down.

"I think that in order to form a political solution, the first thing would be the resignation of Rajoy. And the international community, and specifically the European Union, must help us to create conditions for a political solution, for mediation," Colau said, adding that currently the atmosphere between Catalonia and Spain was "one of tension, of blockage."

In reaction to these developments, Catalonia's government met Monday to discuss plans to declare independence after the results of yesterday's disputed referendum.

Catalan pro-independence figure and leader of the regional government Carles Puigdemont, said on Monday that he saw the vote as binding and plans to take the referendum results to the Catalonian parliament in the next few days.

He added that had not any contact from the Spanish government regarding negotiations and he called on the European Union to mediate.

Hence, Spain's constitutional court has said any independence vote in Catalonia is illegal and the Spain prime minister has said he did not recognize the vote on Sunday, which saw 90 percent of the 2.26 million people who went to the polls, vote for independence. Voter turnout was low, however, around 42 percent and many people who oppose independence abstained from voting.

Any declaration of independence would likely plunge Spain into a further constitutional crisis and could prompt Rajoy to try to seize powers back from the Catalan government, a move likely to inflame the situation further.