Teachers across Catalonia are on strike today, 27 May, while unions continue negotiations with the Department of Education. The action follows talks yesterday, when the government adopted part of the unions’ framework, but unions said more progress is needed.
The strike was called by several unions, including USTEC, Professors de Secundària, CGT and Intersindical. Their demands include better pay, improved working conditions, smaller class sizes and full implementation of inclusive education.
Teachers in state-subsidised private schools have also joined the strike. They share many of the same concerns as public school staff, and are also asking for the same teaching hours as their public sector counterparts.
In Barcelona, the march began at 10am at Pla de Palau and is due to end at Plaça de les Drassanes. The event includes speeches from teachers, students, municipal workers, nursery school representatives and families, plus workshops, poetry readings, music and castellers. For more Catalonia coverage, see our news page.
Other protests are taking place in Granollers, Lleida, Tarragona, Torredembarra and Girona. In Granollers, the concentration began at 9am at the sports palace, followed by a march at 10am and a protest festival at 11am. In Lleida, the demonstration started at 9:30am from the Official Language School, with a concentration at Escola Alba at 11am, plus a communal lunch, music and speeches.
In Tarragona, the gathering is at 10am at the Despullats statue. In Torredembarra, the march started at 10am at the Sant Jordi pavilion, with round tables on health, farming, housing and inclusion, along with music and a communal paella. In Girona, the demonstration began at 9am near Pont del Dimoni and ended at 10:15am at Salt’s municipal sports pavilion. Further strike days are planned for 28 May in Maresme, Vallès Occidental and Vallès Oriental, then on 29 May in Baix Llobregat and Central Catalonia, followed by another Catalonia-wide strike the next week.
Yesterday’s meeting also saw the Department of Education propose a universal supplement to raise staff salaries, worth about €40 gross per month from this year. The government said the measure would involve an investment of €78.67 million and would merge the singular supplements previously proposed by Education, which unions had rejected. USTEC has also suggested possible action to coincide with Pope Leo XIV’s visit on 10 June.