The standoff continues between Educació and teachers’ unions in Catalonia. Yesterday, Thursday, after six hours of negotiation and 300 million more on the table, there was no agreement and the union representatives decided to lock themselves in the conselleria headquarters.
This morning both parties explain the conflict from different perspectives. The union representatives have accused Educació of cheating by including the state supplement in the 400 euros proposed salary increase. Thus, the organizations were asking for this amount, but discounting the state salary increase. In addition, they include the negotiation of ratios and curricula and not just salaries and inclusivity to close the agreement. Consellera Esther Niubó has denied that the proposed salary increase is a “trap” and has assured that the Govern has presented an offer of increase that exceeds the one agreed in March. Niubó insists that the proposal is “definitive” although she is willing to address possible “loose ends” regarding this same offer.
“We are proposing an increase of 400 euros per month in teachers’ salaries over four years and, in addition, we are placing more than 6,000 new professionals to support inclusive schooling in the next four years,” Niubó said in interviews with Cadena SER and Catalunya Ràdio.
The consellera explained that these 400 euros per month are the sum of two supplements, the specific supplement, which had already been increased by 30% (coming from the March agreement with UGT and CC.OO.) and a linear supplement. Asked what the stumbling block to reaching an agreement is, she pointed out that the element that has structured the negotiation is “clearly remuneration-related” and asked the unions to be clear.
In statements to journalists before the meeting began, representatives of the educational unions Ustec, Professors de Secundària, CGT, and Intersindical stated that if the department does not move from yesterday’s proposal, they do not rule out calling mobilizations after the general strike scheduled for June 5. Their intention, they said, is to remain locked in until there is an agreement.
They also accused that the salary increase is only 120 euros.
Niubó recalled that a few weeks ago the striking unions proposed a 400 euro increase to stop the mobilizations and wondered if the salary increase they want is 500 or 600 euros.
‘Loose ends’ in a ‘definitive’ proposal
Asked if the proposal from a few days ago to increase specific supplements for certain teaching profiles, such as tutors, co-tutors, and others, could be recovered, Niubó said that you cannot “go back and forth” in negotiations, and that the department will only be able to specify some “loose ends” of its “definitive” proposal made public this Thursday.
Niubó considers that at this moment the only point of disagreement is salary-related, since regarding the increase in staff for inclusive schooling, positions seem to already coincide. The unions say they want to negotiate ratios and curricula as well and not just salaries to close the agreement. The Ustec spokesperson explained that she does not rule out coming out with a strengthened mobilization schedule.
About twenty union representatives have slept in the conselleria
A total of 17 representatives of these unions spent the night locked in the central headquarters of the Departament de Educació after the Thursday meeting ended.
At the eighth sectorial table meeting, about 40 teachers gathered in front of the Conselleria shouting ‘Niubó resignation’ and ‘We are teachers, not criminals’ and blocked the Vía Augusta.
Meanwhile, hundreds of teachers from Baix Llobregat and Penedès are mobilizing this Friday in Montserrat in a new day of strike in the education sector. Participants have organized to go up on foot, by rack railway, or by car to the monastery, where a gathering is scheduled for noon.
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