Teachers in Barcelona went on strike on Tuesday, 9 June 2026, as Pope Leo XIV arrived in the city from Madrid at 12:25pm. The unions behind the protest, USTEC, CGT, Intersindical, CNT and COS, marched under the slogan, “We demand facts, not miracles”.
The demonstration began at Plaça Espanya shortly after 11am, with teachers gathering at the Venetian Towers. The planned route ran along Gran Via, Plaça Tetuan and Passeig de Sant Joan, ending at the Parliament of Catalonia. USTEC said this was the final strike called by teachers for the current academic year.
USTEC spokesperson Iolanda Segura said the rejection of the pre-agreement in a teacher consultation, together with the ongoing mobilisations, showed that the current school model “does not work”. She said it fails to deliver results, has worsened working conditions and does not give enough attention to all students. Segura called for a “structural change” to the model.
Segura said USTEC was due to meet Education Minister Esther Niubó on Wednesday, after refusing a meeting the previous Friday because of the strike. She said negotiations had been “very difficult” and had created “unnecessary confrontations”, and called for “open negotiation of listening and construction, not of battle”.
She also criticised the “contradiction” of saying there is no more money for education while “millions of euros are being spent” on the Pope’s visit. CGT Ensenyament’s Isarn Pardes said the mobilisation was a continuation of the consultation result and a defence of public education in Catalan, while also rejecting what he described as state-subsidised private education.
Other unions also backed continued action. Intersindical’s Marc Martorell said teachers would keep mobilising until the educational crisis is resolved. COS spokesperson Cati Morros said the protest was a declaration of intent, and CNT Ensenyament general secretary Montse Luque said education workers had shown they can organise from the grassroots and sustain a conflict. Students also joined the protest, and the unions called for another demonstration in Barcelona on Sunday, with families and other members of the education community expected to take part.