Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) has rejected demands from the USTEC teachers' union to make educators' claims a red line for the upcoming budget agreement, clearing the path for President Salvador Illa's financial plan. The party, led by Oriol Junqueras, stated it will pressure the government to address the teaching sector's demands but will not make budget approval conditional on them.
Party sources told VilaWeb that while ERC shares many of the teachers' requests, resolving the conflict with educational unions is solely the government's responsibility. They added that if the budget passes, "the government will have all the necessary tools to confront and redirect the social conflicts it has open, including that of the teachers."
ERC officials maintain they have always supported education professionals and will continue to work towards finding answers to their requests, helping to build an understanding that, they say, still seems distant. The party's leadership also stressed that if the budget is approved before summer, the government will have no excuses for not addressing social conflicts, including those in education.
Internal Divisions Over Budget Conditions
Within ERC, there are differing views. Educational leaders within the party admit to ACN that most teacher-members of ERC also advocate for conditioning the budget on accepting union demands. They highlight that the sector's claims are reasonable, but the party's main leadership does not align with this position.
ERC insists it will not obstruct resources linked to future agreements between teaching unions and Esther Niubó's department. They also claim that a new funding system would create a more favourable situation. Initially, ERC had set achieving unique funding for Catalonia as a precondition for budget negotiations.
Other voices within the party believe the budget agreement should not be finalised while teacher mobilisations and strikes continue. Some parliamentary sources suggest the budget should be conditional on more elements than are currently on the table.
USTEC's Call for Political Involvement
USTEC previously urged ERC and Comuns to make the Generalitat's budget conditional on teachers' demands. The union's spokesperson, Iolanda Segura, called for parties to get involved "to resolve the conflict and not entrench it." Speaking after USTEC's National Council, Segura reiterated that it would be unacceptable for the accounts to proceed without concrete commitments to public education.
Budget Negotiations Advance
Budget negotiations between the government, ERC, and Comuns are progressing, with an agreement expected to be announced next week. The executive and the group led by Jéssica Albiach have restarted talks focusing on housing, mobility, and inequality.
ERC will hold an extraordinary National Council tomorrow to assess whether conditions are suitable for an imminent budget agreement. Discussions with the republicans are in their final stages, following significant progress on issues such as the orbital railway line. ERC believes this project, with an investment of €5.2 billion to be assumed by the Spanish state and prioritising the Granollers-Sabadell section, should be completed by 2040.
A bilateral State-Generalitat commission will meet in Madrid on Wednesday to finalise the budgetary pact, aiming to ensure the Spanish government fulfils its agreements, according to ACN. Meanwhile, Territory Minister Sílvia Paneque indicates that negotiations with ERC "are on the right track."
