Minutes after the telematic consultation directed at teachers closed, the verdict is already known: 61% of voters have rejected the educational pre-agreement compared to 34.9% who approved it. The final participation was 61% of all public sector teachers, ten points higher than in March. Specifically, 60,686 teachers voted out of a census of 99,305. This is below the union expectations that hoped for a massive response to the “educational emergency.”
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This consultation has kept the education sector on edge as the continuity of conflict in schools depends on it. The question posed to teachers, which was open from last Monday until a few minutes ago, was: “Do you accept the pre-agreement for teaching staff of May 29?” Teachers could choose between two answers: “Yes” or “No, and I commit to supporting the necessary strikes until the end of the school year.” The school year ends in two weeks, on June 19.
Professors de Secundària will also announce today the result of the vote of its members
The ratification of the pre-agreement, reached last Friday, by which teachers’ salaries are increased by about 400 euros over four years and 6,400 new professionals are incorporated into the classrooms, was a commitment made by Ustec to the teachers. During negotiations with the Government, this union committed to submitting the agreement principle to teacher approval as it has done in recent months before major mobilizations.
The second largest union, Professors de Secundària, has also called for a survey on the pre-agreement, although limited to its 4,600 members. The results will also be known today. This union has obtained most of its salary demands, although it has not managed to impose the debate on curriculum reform.
To the March pact, signed with CC.OO. and UGT, valued at 2 billion euros and with a list of educational improvements, 720 million euros have been added (increase in payrolls, stadium debt, and paid chair positions). A figure of 6,400 professionals was also included for inclusive schooling, an aspect already present in the March agreement but not previously specified or scheduled as it is now.
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The unions approving joining the March pact with the new annex of approved measures – Ustec and Professors de Secundària – have run an intense campaign for the ‘yes’ this week. The campaign for the ‘no’ has also been incisive by CGT, the union that dropped out of the sectorial table negotiations late Friday and the only one that did not call off strikes for this week (it maintained them with Intersindical and COS, which are not at the table).
Under these circumstances, strikes have had about 10% participation (yesterday, in Tarragona and Terres de l’Ebre it was 12%). The anarcho-syndicalist union wants to keep protests alive in the streets tomorrow, when all public sector teachers in Catalonia are called out, and from June 8, the eve of Pope Leo XIV’s visit, when an indefinite strike will begin.
Concerted sector strike
The concerted sector is also not calm. The Federació d’Ensenyament de la USOC (Feusoc) maintains the strike call for tomorrow Friday due to lack of progress in the working conditions of teachers in concerted centers. The demonstration will start at Arc de Triomf in Barcelona at 10:30 a.m.
At the same point, but at 12 noon, CGT’s demonstration will start, the union that maintains the strike regardless of whether Catalan teachers ratify the pre-agreement. Previously, three columns are called from the entrances of Barcelona.
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