Librarians in Barcelona, including those from the Diputació and the Consorci de Biblioteques de Barcelona, are joining ongoing public service protests against the City Council. Unions CGT and Intersindical have called a 24-hour strike for Tuesday, 22 April 2026, involving approximately 3,000 workers. The action comes during a week focused on literature, with Sant Jordi approaching, and adds to a series of disputes between municipal service employees and the City Council. Previously, workers from the Municipal Institute of Social Services (IMSS), Citizen Attention Offices (OAC), nurseries, the Service for Attention to Male Violence (SARA), and Women's Information and Attention Points (PIADs) have initiated strikes. These groups feel disadvantaged by a collective agreement that received support from other major unions, CCOO, UGT, and CSIF, which represent a larger portion of the municipal workforce. Librarians accuse the administration of neglecting a fundamental service, threatening recurrent Saturday strikes from now on. ## Librarians Detail Grievances The CGT union stated in a communiqué that librarians "have historical shortcomings and comparative grievances compared to the rest of the municipal workforce." These include a lack of work-life balance, shifts lasting up to eleven consecutive hours, and working six or seven consecutive days. The union also highlighted a lack of flexibility and teleworking options, noting that librarians work an average of 18 more days annually than a typical five-day-a-week employee. they are "exposed to situations of violence without adequate protocols, tools, or resources to deal with them." The CGT confirmed they requested a meeting with senior Human Resources officials and the Municipal Institute of Social Services to discuss accumulated complaints across various professional areas. Two months after making this request directly to Mayor Jaume Collboni during a protest, the meeting has not taken place. ## Council Maintains Position The City Council maintains that its position aligns with what was agreed upon with the other unions during the collective agreement negotiations. Protesters have begun a mobilisation at the Sants-Montjuïc district headquarters and plan further actions in the coming days, including at literary celebration points like Sant Jaume square and Portal de l'Àngel during Sant Jordi.