Valencia teachers escalate strike, leaders resign

Valencian public-school teachers entered the ninth day of an indefinite strike on Thursday, May 21, after a meeting with regional education officials ended after 12 minutes without reopening negotiations. The stoppage affects non-university public education across the Valencian Community and has been running since May 11, according to local media and union statements. More than 260 members of school leadership teams had signed resignations in support of the strike by Thursday night, according to an EFE report carried by El Confidencial. The five main teaching unions also called a large demonstration in Valencia for Saturday. ### Why did the latest talks end so quickly? Carmen Ortí, the regional education councillor, ended Wednesday’s negotiating session after unions unanimously rejected the government’s current proposal and said they would not sign an agreement, El Periódico Mediterráneo reported. The meeting lasted 12 minutes, according to that report. May 20 was the eighth day of the strike, and the regional government had presented what it described as its “definitive” offer a day earlier, including measures on pay, bureaucracy and inclusive classrooms, according to El Periódico Mediterráneo. Unions said the proposal remained insufficient. (elperiodicomediterraneo.com) ### What are teachers and unions demanding? STEPV, CCOO, UGT, CSIF and ANPE are among the unions backing the strike, according to Actualidad Valencia. The dispute centers on salaries, staffing levels, class ratios, bureaucracy and broader working conditions in public schools, according to reports from Democrata and Actualidad Valencia. Nearly 80,000 teachers have been called to the strike, Democrata reported, describing it as one of the most significant recent education disputes in the region. (elperiodicomediterraneo.com) The unions have said they want a broader agreement rather than a limited pay package, according to local coverage. ### Why are school leaders resigning? (actualidadvalencia.com) More than 260 members of school management teams in the Valencian Community had signed resignations in support of the strike, El Confidencial reported in an EFE dispatch published on May 21. The resignations added to pressure on the regional government as the walkout moved into a second week. (democrata.es) Earlier in the dispute, more than 1,200 school leaders had backed a manifesto defending public education and warning they could resign en masse if the deadlock continued, El Confidencial reported on May 14. That earlier warning helps explain how the current resignations emerged from a broader campaign inside school leadership structures. (elconfidencial.com) ### How large is the protest movement now? Valencia has already seen repeated demonstrations since the strike began on May 11, including large marches in the three provincial capitals, according to El Confidencial and local reports. Unions described the first day’s turnout as “historic” and “massive,” though officials and organizers differed on participation figures. (elconfidencial.com) Actualidad Valencia reported on May 21 that unions had called a new large demonstration in Valencia for Saturday as part of the ongoing mobilization. The protest is intended as the next public display of pressure after the collapse of talks this week. ### What happens next? Saturday, May 23, is the next fixed date in the dispute, with unions planning a large march in Valencia. (elconfidencial.com) The strike remains indefinite, and no new agreement had been announced by Friday, May 22, in the reports reviewed. The next formal breakthrough would have to come through a renewed sectoral negotiating session between the Valencian regional government and the unions, including STEPV, CCOO, UGT, CSIF and ANPE. (actualidadvalencia.com) As of the latest reports, neither side had announced a settlement or a new deal.