Teachers' unions and the Department of Education concluded two hours of meeting yesterday without an agreement on the labor improvements that teachers and educators are demanding to call off the strikes planned until the end of the school year. The meeting also ended with a divided table, as CGT and Intersindical left halfway through the session, understanding that the discussion had been limited to inclusive education and had excluded salary negotiations.
The tension is concentrated there. While the unions presented a unified proposal for a raise of about 500 euros per month and the creation of 6,400 positions to strengthen inclusive education, the department maintained that the talks are going "in the right direction," despite the threat of further mobilizations remaining open if there is no concrete response today.
Unions requested 500 euros per month and 6,400 new positions
Ustec, Aspepc, CGT, and Intersindical proposed a salary improvement to be implemented over four years, with 478 euros per month for teachers and 544 for secondary school teachers. The proposal was presented as a joint position to try to reach an agreement before the end of the school year.
To that demand, they added the creation of 6,400 new positions linked to the reinforcement of inclusive education. The clash occurred during the meeting itself, when CGT and Intersindical left the table, considering that the debate was focusing only on this second point.
Ustec did stay until the end of the meeting. Aspepc, on the other hand, did not attend the meeting.
"If the department does not respond concretely to our latest unified proposal today, we will break off negotiations and escalate mobilizations until the end of the school year" - Iolanda Segura, spokesperson for Ustec
The negotiation is not considered closed. Ustec, CCOO, and UGT will sit down again today at 12:00 PM in a new sectoral meeting to try to bridge the gap with the Department of Education.
Ignasi Giménez spoke of a fruitful meeting despite the lack of agreement
From the department, the Secretary of Educational Improvement, Ignasi Giménez, stated that the talks are progressing "in the right direction" and described yesterday's meeting as "fruitful." His assessment contrasts with the early departure of two unions and Ustec's warning of an immediate breakdown if there are no advances today.
The teachers' conflict in Catalonia also coincides with another open standoff in the Valencian Community, where at least 120 principals and 260 members of management teams announced their resignation in support of teachers who have been on strike for nine days.
The Parliament requested dismissals due to infiltrations in teacher assemblies
In parallel to the labor negotiation, the Parliament censured and requested the dismissal of the Minister of the Interior, Núria Parlon, and the Director General of the Mossos d'Esquadra, Josep Lluís Trapero, for infiltrations in teacher assemblies. The chamber also demanded the dismissal of the Minister of Education, Esther Niubó, if an immediate agreement with the teachers is not reached.
The CUP's motion to request the departure of Parlon and Niubó passed with the support of Junts per Catalunya, Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, and CUP, the rejection of PSC and PP, and the abstention of Vox, Comuns, and Aliança Catalana.
In the vote on Josep Lluís Trapero, the request for dismissal garnered the votes of Junts per Catalunya, Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, CUP, and Comuns, with the rejection of PSC and PP and the abstention of Vox and Aliança.