Teachers in the Valencia region are entering a third week of an indefinite strike, with unions preparing a new round of protests while talks with the Department of Education remain stalled.
Unions say they will submit a new joint proposal to Education Minister Carmen Ortí tomorrow. They describe it as a more detailed version of previous submissions, but there is still no official call to restart negotiations.
They hope talks could resume as early as Monday, although they say there is no guarantee a meeting will be called. In the meantime, protests are set to continue across the region. For more Catalonia-wide education coverage, see our news page.
On Monday, demonstrations are planned outside education administrative headquarters. In Valencia, the protest is due at 10am in front of the department on Avinguda de Campanar. In Alicante, teachers will gather at 12pm outside the Territorial Directorate on Carrer de Jorge Juan, while in Elx the protest is set for 10:30am in Plaça dels Algeps. In Castelló, the gathering will be at 11am outside the Territorial Directorate on Avinguda de la Mar, 23.
Tuesday will bring decentralised actions in different districts, aimed at accompanying institutional events and raising the profile of the dispute. Unions are also considering symbolic actions, including classes in the street with tables and chairs in public spaces.
The main event of the week is due on Wednesday, when a new joint demonstration is planned in Valencia at 11am. That follows recent large mobilisations, including one on Saturday that organisers said drew between 30,000 and 35,000 people. Another protest is also planned in Castelló.
Further decentralised mobilisations are planned for Thursday, including protest bike rides and the distribution of leaflets in neighbourhoods and shops. If the dispute is still unresolved, school assemblies will be held on Friday to decide whether to continue the strike.