Barcelona and Valencia are seeing critical negotiations today as education departments meet with teacher unions following widespread strikes. Both the Catalan and Valencian governments are trying to resolve a conflict that has intensified in recent weeks, placing teacher working conditions and the state of the education system at the centre of political debate.
In Catalonia, the Department of Education convened a sectoral negotiation table at 9.30am with unions USTEC, Professors de Secundària, CGT, and Intersindical. Meanwhile, in Valencia, the Ministry of Education met with STEPV, CCOO, UGT, and CSIF at 9am, after three days of indefinite strikes in public schools, according to VilaWeb Feed.
Standoff Over Demands
The Catalan Department of Education has adopted a firm stance, believing its existing agreement with CCOO and UGT is the solution. This position leaves little room for manoeuvre for the striking unions, who consider the agreement insufficient to address current problems. Government spokesperson and Territory Minister, Sílvia Paneque, stated on Tuesday after the executive council, "From today to tomorrow we cannot fix an issue that has been broken for the last ten years."
Education Minister Esther Niubó is attending the meeting, which the executive says shows a willingness to explain the existing agreement and its implementation, and to listen. However, unions maintain a strong position. They have made it clear that no agreement will be reached without a shock plan to improve economic conditions, staffing levels, and inclusive education.
Teachers in Catalonia also have the backing of the Federated Associations of Parents of Students of Catalonia (AFFAC), who support better teacher remuneration and call for adapting the education system to current needs. In Valencia, unions are also demanding salary improvements, a reduction in class sizes, greater job stability, and increased resources for public schools. The Valencian government has announced a "comprehensive proposal" to restart negotiations, suggesting that halting mobilisations would help the talks. However, Marc Candela, STEPV's trade union action coordinator, warned that the strike "continues until there is a satisfactory result for teachers" and will not be called off without concrete commitments.
Key Areas for Improvement
Economic conditions, increased staffing, and the effective implementation of inclusive education are central battlegrounds for unions in both Catalonia and Valencia. Teacher representatives are calling for specific, budgeted shock plans with clear timelines to reverse the decline of the public education system.
In Catalonia, USTEC-STEs warns that no agreement will be reached without immediate measures to restore teachers' purchasing power, strengthen staff numbers, and reduce class sizes. Unions demand a real pay rise, improvements in professional stages, the return of accumulated debt, and an automatic salary clause linked to inflation to protect future wages. They argue that general announcements are not enough and demand visible guarantees in both pay slips and schools.
In Valencia, unions prioritise salary recovery and class size reduction in their indefinite strike. They demand a progressive decrease in the number of students per classroom, aiming for fifteen in infant and primary education and twenty in secondary. They also seek to create two thousand new teaching positions and increase support staff for educational and inclusive care. Other demands include less bureaucratic burden, job stability for temporary staff, more investment in infrastructure, and measures to protect Catalan language teaching.
Inclusive Education and Police Infiltration
Inclusive education is another significant point of contention in Catalonia, though unions have some differing views here. The Professors de Secundària union believes the problem is not just about resources but about the model itself. Spokesperson Andreu Navarra described the inclusive education decree as "a disaster, chaos," advocating for a deep review of the system.
Other teachers believe the model needs further development. USTEC states that the increase in students with specific educational support needs has added tension to schools and denounces underfunding. According to 2025-2026 data, 40.6% of students in Catalonia, around 314,000, have recognised educational support needs. This reality particularly affects public schools, which concentrate over 75% of these students.
To address this, USTEC proposes a ten-point plan to strengthen schools: more specialised professionals like early childhood education technicians, social integrators, special education specialists, and hearing and language teachers; better-resourced reception classrooms for newly arrived students; a intensive support unit for inclusive education (SIEI) in every mainstream school; and a progressive increase in educational support staff. They also demand smaller class sizes, especially in inclusive care settings, the conversion of temporary positions into permanent ones, and the restoration of coordination hours for teachers and educational support staff. In the medium term, they propose moving towards classrooms with fifteen students in primary and twenty in secondary, and a 50% increase in staff linked to inclusive education.
Adding to the tension is the infiltration of two Mossos d'Esquadra officers into a teachers' assembly. Interior Minister Núria Parlon and Mossos Director Josep Lluís Trapero admitted in parliament that the operation was "an error" and apologised to the affected unions. However, USTEC and CGT consider the government's explanations insufficient and have announced legal action. Unions denounce a serious violation of fundamental rights, including freedom of association and assembly, and demand to know who authorised the operation and how the information obtained has been used. "We will meet in court," USTEC lawyer Ivan Vázquez warned.
Moving forward, the outcome of these negotiations will determine the immediate future of education in Catalonia and Valencia. Unions are awaiting concrete proposals and commitments, while governments aim to de-escalate the conflict and implement reforms. The legal actions regarding the police infiltration will also continue to unfold, potentially influencing future relations between unions and the government.
