The education sector in Catalunya will mobilize again between May 6 and June 5 with a new round of protests and strike days called by USTEC STES, ASPEPC, CGT and Intersindical. The call foresees five days of strike per center, with three days of Catalan scope and two of territorial nature, in addition to specific actions for schools from 0 to 3 years old.
The first date marked on the calendar will be May 6, with a day of actions in educational centers. From there, general strikes will follow in Catalunya on May 12 and 27 and June 5, while centers for 0 to 3 year olds are called to strike on May 7 and 20.
Calendar of mobilizations in Catalunya
The call starts with a month of protests that wants to maintain pressure on the Departament d'Educació i Formació Professional. The first unitary demonstration is scheduled for May 12 and a new country-wide mobilization will close this cycle on June 5.
The unions maintain that these stoppages come after the agreement reached by the Generalitat with CCOO and UGT on educational improvement matters, a pact they consider insufficient. They also denounce what they define as a departmental blockade and an absolute lack of negotiating will.
"Recover the purchasing power of the teaching staff and guarantee decent wages" - USTEC STES
L'Hospitalet adds two territorial days of the Barcelonès
In the case of L'Hospitalet, due to its belonging to the Barcelonès, the calendar incorporates two more territorial strikes. To the general days of Catalunya on May 12 and 27 and June 5 are added the stoppages of May 18 and June 2, both of county scope.
In this way, in L'Hospitalet the calendar is distributed with actions in the centers on May 6, strike in schools for 0 to 3 year olds on May 7, general strike and unitary demonstration on May 12, territorial strike of Barcelonès on May 18, new strike for 0 to 3 year olds on May 20, strike throughout Catalunya on May 27, another territorial day on June 2 and general strike with unitary demonstration on June 5.
The demands of the conveners
Among the main demands raised by USTEC STES is the recovery of the purchasing power of the teaching staff and the guarantee of decent wages. The union also demands an increase in educational investment to reduce ratios, improve student care, and strengthen staff.
Along with this, it calls for eliminating the bureaucratic overload through an effective plan negotiated with the union majority, in addition to reviewing the current curricula counting on the teaching staff. The last demonstration of this wave is foreseen for June 5, a date with which it is intended to close a month of sustained mobilization in the Catalan educational centers.