The Public Education Platform of Elche, which brings together various unions, has reactivated its mobilization efforts in response to cuts that, they claim, originate from the Ministry of Education. In addition to the indefinite strike, the teaching staff in Elche will hold a sit-in this Thursday at IES Cayetano Sempere, inviting the entire educational community, including parents, to join the protests.
“"We invite the entire community to participate in the actions to defend public education in the coming days, demanding that the counselor negotiate seriously."
The representative of the Elche Teachers' Assembly has pointed out that teachers have lost 20% of their purchasing power and that more staff recruitment is necessary to serve an increasingly diverse student body. They also highlighted the extensive bureaucracy that hinders daily management and urged the continuation of the Edificant Plan to ensure dignified and safe centers, especially regarding temperature adaptation.
From CCOO, a spokesperson stated that the reasons for the strike are structural, including excessive ratios, lack of teaching staff, and economic and human resources. They also criticized the
“"so-called Education Freedom Law has generated many problems without any real argumentation, simply political and ideological issues."
This spokesperson warned that the strike would be difficult to stop, as the Ministry has not proposed concrete solutions in sectoral negotiation tables. Furthermore, they noted that there will be partial stoppages by administrative and service staff (PAS) and that participation in municipal schools is very high, exceeding 60-70% in many cases.
Meanwhile, a representative from UGT indicated that, after six months of trying to resolve the public school situation, the Ministry only reacts at the last minute and that there is no effective connection between the administration and the unions. They emphasized that more and more sectors are involved in pressing for improvements in public education, and that, although the indefinite strike is an individual decision, the mobilization has been prepared with partial stoppages.
From the STEPV union, a spokesperson denounced that the minimum services imposed are
“"very high, especially in Secondary and Baccalaureate"
and that the Ministry has been misleading them on this issue. They are studying the situation with legal services, as they believe these minimum services could violate the right to strike by being considered abusive.
During negotiations, the platform reported that the Ministry has threatened to halt talks if the unions do not accept its final proposal, which consists of obliging all 2nd Baccalaureate teachers to perform minimum services for student evaluation. The Ministry has offered 75 gross euros per month starting in 2027 and has committed to adding an infrastructure plan to the negotiations. However, CCOO, UGT, and STEPV have walked out of the table, claiming that the Ministry has not wanted to negotiate the remaining demands.
