Valencia Teachers' Strike Enters Fourth Week as Talks Collapse, Unions Stage Sit-In and Police Clash with Protesters
Negotiations to end the indefinite strike by public school teachers in Valencia broke down on Sunday, leading three unions to begin a sit-in at the education ministry while police clashed with protesters outside.
Negotiations collapse
A ninth extraordinary meeting between the Valencian Department of Education and teachers' unions ended without an agreement on Sunday evening, pushing the indefinite strike in public non-university education into its fourth week. The meeting, which began at 18:18, was concluded by Education Councillor Carmen Ortí around 19:30 after just over an hour. The department presented a calendar of thematic meetings for Monday through Wednesday to address issues like inclusion, staffing, ratios, the Valencian language, infrastructure, and vocational training.
The salary impasse
The talks stalled primarily on the issue of teacher salaries. The department considers the matter closed after signing an agreement with two unions, CSIF and ANPE, which includes a progressive increase of 200 euros gross per month by January 2028. However, the three striking unions—STEPV, CCOO, and UGT—demanded the reopening of salary negotiations. They cited a weekend consultation in which 91% of the 30,014 participating teachers rejected the existing offer.
What we are not going to do is unilaterally break an agreement that we already have closed with a part of the trade union organizations.
Unions stage a sit-in
Refusing to accept the end of the session, representatives from STEPV, CCOO, and UGT remained inside the ministry building. They stated they would not leave until the department committed to a "decent base document" and reopened talks on pay. The unions argued that a base agreement is necessary to resolve the conflict and would require subsequent developments.
What the Department has put forward are just loose ends.
Protests and police intervention
Outside the ministry's headquarters on Avenida de Campanar, hundreds of teachers gathered in a protest that had been peaceful for hours. Demonstrators formed a human chain around the building, sat on the road, and chanted slogans calling for the councillor's resignation. After the meeting ended, National Police officers charged some protesters who were attempting to block Avenida Pío XII, a major thoroughfare. A video showing an officer forcefully pushing a female teacher to the ground from behind spread rapidly on social media, sparking widespread indignation. The unions announced they would file complaints over the police aggression.
Som gent de pau, i no ens faran callar.
Strike continues into critical week
The strike, which began on May 11, continues into a week that coincides with the start of University Access Tests (PAU) in the Valencian Community on Tuesday. The government has set minimum services at 100% for both the exams and their correction. The department maintains that progress has been made on reducing bureaucracy and other educational matters, but the fundamental dispute over salaries remains unresolved.
