Valencia teachers' indefinite strike enters fourth week as negotiations collapse and unions split
The indefinite strike in Valencia's public non-university education system enters its fourth week after a ninth extraordinary meeting failed to produce an agreement, deepening the rift between the regional government and the three striking unions.
Negotiations break down
The indefinite strike in Valencia's public non-university education system, which began on 11 May, entered its fourth week on Monday after a ninth extraordinary negotiating session on Sunday evening ended without agreement. The meeting, which started after 18:00, was attended by all five unions with representation on the Sectoral Board — STEPV, UGT, CCOO, CSIF, and ANPE — but broke down amid tense moments both inside and outside the Conselleria de Educación building.
Around 19:30, after a round of interventions on various thematic blocks, the Conselleria suspended the session and called on the unions to continue negotiations from Monday onwards through monographic tables. The debate stalled on the issue of salaries, a point on which an agreement already exists — signed by ANPE and CSIF — providing for a progressive increase of 200 euros gross per month by 2028. The other three unions demanded that salary negotiations be reopened, arguing that this was the issue most rejected by teachers in consultations held over the weekend.
The decisions of her department are not taken under pressure or occupation of the space.
Union split and Monday's no-show
A deep division has emerged among the unions. CSIF and ANPE accepted the Conselleria's proposed negotiation calendar for the week, while STEPV, UGT, and CCOO refused to leave the building until a "decent base document" including a new salary proposal was presented. Six union representatives from these three organizations remained locked inside the Conselleria until after midnight, eventually leaving around 00:15 after being warned they could face very serious misconduct charges with "criminal consequences" and possible separation from service.
On Monday morning, the first sectoral meeting on educational inclusion, scheduled for 09:00 in a telematic format, could not be held due to lack of quorum when STEPV, UGT, and CCOO failed to connect. The Conselleria confirmed the meeting was converted into a working session with CSIF and ANPE, who did attend. CSIF had previously communicated its preference for an online format after leaving the Conselleria at 01:50, "escorted by the National Police with two vans."
We don't know what will happen from now on.
Police incident and protests
Sunday's protest outside the Conselleria saw a large concentration of teachers wearing green T-shirts, with Moixeranga performances and 'Bella Ciao' playing in the background. Demonstrators chanted slogans calling for the resignation of Education Councillor Carmen Ortí. During the protest, a video circulated on social media showing a National Police officer violently pushing a female teacher from behind, causing her to fall to the ground. The incident was publicly denounced as a "brutal aggression" by unions and teachers present.
Pilar Bernabé, the Government Delegate in the Valencian Community, described the images as "unacceptable" and announced an exhaustive investigation to determine responsibilities, emphasizing that protecting the right to demonstrate safely is paramount.
The image that has been seen is unacceptable. We are going to investigate what happened exhaustively to determine responsibilities. Protecting the right to demonstrate safely is above any circumstance.
Escalating mobilization
As the strike entered its fourth week, teachers launched new forms of protest. On Monday morning, a slow car march caused significant traffic disruption at the southern entrance to Valencia, generating long tailbacks from early morning. This marks an escalation beyond the strike and traditional demonstrations that have characterized the first three weeks of the conflict.
- Indefinite strike in public non-university education begins
- Ninth extraordinary negotiating session starts at Conselleria de Educación
- Conselleria suspends session and calls unions to monographic tables starting Monday
- Six unionists from STEPV, UGT, and CCOO leave Conselleria after sit-in
- First sectoral meeting on inclusion fails due to lack of quorum; three unions boycott
What's at stake
The core dispute centers on salary improvements and working conditions for public non-university teachers. The agreement signed by CSIF and ANPE offers a 200-euro gross monthly increase phased in progressively until 2028. The three striking unions — STEPV, UGT, and CCOO — consider this insufficient and demand a reopening of salary negotiations along with a comprehensive base document addressing broader sector demands. The Conselleria maintains that its salary offer represents a "very good agreement" and insists it will not negotiate under pressure, leaving the conflict at an impasse as the fourth week of strike action begins.
