Valencia teachers march en masse

More than 35,000 people marched through central Valencia on Friday, May 15, in the biggest protest yet of an indefinite teachers’ strike that entered its fifth day, according to Delegación del Gobierno figures reported by Spanish media. The demonstration brought together teachers, students and families after unions rejected a proposal from the regional Education Department a day earlier and kept the stoppage in place. The Conselleria de Educación later put definitive strike participation for Friday at 39.11%. The protest capped the first week of an open-ended walkout in non-university public education across the Valencian Community. The strike was called by STEPV, CSIF, CCOO and UGT, with support from ANPE, after months of negotiations over pay, staffing, bureaucracy and working conditions failed to produce an agreement. Europa Press reported that nearly 80,000 teachers had been called to the strike. (lavanguardia.com) ### How big was the march in Valencia? Delegación del Gobierno said more than 35,000 people joined the march in Valencia on Friday. La Vanguardia and El País both reported that the crowd filled the city center from late morning, with demonstrators arriving from districts of Valencia and from towns across the region. (europapress.es) The route began around Plaza de San Agustín and moved through the center at a slow pace because of the size of the crowd, La Vanguardia reported. By the time the march was dispersing in the square, demonstrators were still moving along Calle Colón, the newspaper said. ### Why are teachers still on strike after five days? (lavanguardia.com) The dispute remained centered on pay and broader school conditions after unions said the government’s draft pre-agreement did not meet their demands. Europa Press reported on May 14 that union representatives said the proposed text did not cover their claims “ni al 50%” and insisted salary improvements had to be included in the talks. (lavanguardia.com) Carmen Ortí, the regional education councillor, said on May 14 that her department would keep working on a more complete document before the next meeting. La Vanguardia reported that Ortí said, “Estamos en el camino, el del diálogo,” while unions said the strike would continue at least until the next sectoral bargaining session. (europapress.es) ### What do the participation figures show? The Conselleria de Educación said definitive participation in Friday’s strike was 39.11%, with provincial rates of 33.77% in Alicante, 39.33% in Castellón and 43.63% in Valencia. The department said that made Friday the second-strongest day of the week after Monday’s opening stoppage. (lavanguardia.com) Europa Press reported the administration’s earlier daily figures for the week at 50.12% on Monday, 35.5% on Tuesday, 27.26% on Wednesday and 24.05% on Thursday. ABC reported an earlier Friday participation figure of 35.64%, but the later Europa Press dispatch cited the department’s definitive number at 39.11%. (europapress.es) ### Who is leading the pressure on the government? Marc Candela of STEPV, the majority teaching union, said before the march that the turnout was a message to the regional government that “el preacuerdo de ayer no lo queremos,” according to La Vanguardia. He added: “Que tomen nota y el lunes vengan con una propuesta o aquí nos tendrán.” (europapress.es) José Seco, the regional president of CSIF, said Friday “será un día histórico,” but added that it was also “un día triste” because no agreement had been reached, La Vanguardia reported. Teachers interviewed by El País said families and students had joined the protest because the dispute was also about classroom conditions and attention to pupils. (lavanguardia.com) ### What happens on Monday? Monday, May 18, is the next scheduled bargaining point in the dispute. Multiple reports said unions and the Conselleria de Educación were due to resume talks that day after the regional government promised to work through the weekend on a revised document. (lavanguardia.com) The strike also continues under minimum-service rules upheld by the High Court of the Valencian Community, or TSJCV, which on May 11 declined to suspend the Generalitat’s order covering the walkout. The court said it saw no evident lack of proportionality in the measures, citing the interests of students, including those in the second year of bachillerato preparing for university entrance exams. (poderjudicial.es) (libertaddigital.com)