Valencian Consell negotiators close to teachers' class-size deal; agreement expected next week

The teachers’ strike in Spain’s Valencia region has moved into a narrower endgame than the opening slogans suggested. After five days of indefinite stoppages, the dispute is no longer centered only on how much the regional government is willing to add to monthly pay. The talks now also hinge on whether the Generalitat can commit to smaller class sizes, more staff, faster replacement of absences and stronger support for students with special needs. That matters because those are the areas where unions say a deal could still be built, even if the salary offer stays well below their original demands. ### Why are class sizes suddenly at the center of the talks? The unions’ platform had included classroom conditions from the start, but pay dominated the first phase of the strike. A unitary agreement signed on May 1 by the Coordinadora d'Assemblees Docents del País Valencià, STEPV, CCOO, UGT and other groups listed 40 demands, with lower pupil ratios first on the list. The document called for moving Infant and Primary classes from 25 pupils to 15, and ESO and Bachillerato groups from 30 or 25 pupils to 20. (alicanteplaza.es) It also sought 2,000 new jobs and more specialist staff for inclusion. La Razón reported on May 16 that teachers in Valencia were pressing for “more means to attend to students,” including lower ratios and more professionals for different learning needs. Other local reporting said negotiators were exploring whether movement on those school-condition demands could unlock an agreement even without a large immediate salary rise. That would not remove pay from the dispute; it would change the order of priorities in the final bargaining. (europapress.es) ### What is the government actually offering on salaries? The Conselleria de Educación’s last public economic offer was a linear increase of 75 euros gross per month, to be phased in from 2027 to 2029. Regional officials have defended that proposal as fiscally manageable. Unions have rejected it as too small, saying their demands run from 300 to 500 euros a month and are tied to a recovery of purchasing power lost since 2010. (larazon.es) ANPE said on May 14 that the 75-euro increase “is clearly insufficient” and remained far from restoring the 20% purchasing power teachers say they have lost. El País reported on May 14 that the Generalitat’s latest economic proposal remained the same 75-euro offer over three years, and teachers described it as inadequate for one of Spain’s lowest-paid regional teaching workforces. (larazon.es) ### How much leverage do the unions still have after the first week? The strike began on May 11 and is the first major indefinite teachers’ strike in the region in decades, with about 78,000 teachers called to join it. It affects non-university public education across Infant, Primary, secondary, Bachillerato and vocational training, and can touch more than half a million students. That scale gave unions leverage at the start, especially with university entrance exams approaching for second-year Bachillerato students. (anpecomunidadvalenciana.es) But turnout data has become part of the negotiation. Alicante Plaza reported that official participation had eased as the week progressed and that each teacher who stayed out lost about 150 euros net per strike day. The same report said unions and the Consell were both measuring how long the stoppage could be sustained. (elpais.com) A separate Europa Press report said unions had already called fresh demonstrations for Monday outside the Education Ministry and for Friday outside the regional Finance Ministry. Those mobilizations suggest labor groups are trying to keep street pressure high while talks continue. (alicanteplaza.es) ### What has the government said about the non-pay demands? Carmen Ortí, the regional education minister, said after the May 14 meeting that the draft document contained “many points of encounter,” according to local coverage, even though the salary issue was not included in that text. Daniel McEvoy, the regional secretary for education, had earlier urged unions to drop what he called “maximalist” positions and return to talks. (europapress.es) The substance of that draft matters. Press reports said it covered structural issues such as staffing, bureaucracy and system improvements, while leaving the salary conflict unresolved. That is why the current phase of the talks looks less like a clean pay settlement and more like a package negotiation over how schools operate day to day. (diariodealicante.net) ### What should readers watch next week? Monday, May 18, is the next visible test. Multiple reports said the parties were due to resume negotiations that day after the failed May 14 meeting, and unions have also scheduled a protest outside the Conselleria de Educación in Valencia. If negotiators arrive with written commitments on ratios, staffing, facilities or inclusion, that will show whether the class-size track is real or only a bargaining signal. (elmundo.es) Friday, May 22, is the next pressure point after that, with another union demonstration planned outside the regional Finance Ministry. Any agreement would need named backing from the main unions involved in the strike — including STEPV, CCOO, UGT, CSIF and ANPE — and would almost certainly be announced through the Education Ministry or union statements after the May 18 round. (elpais.com) (alicanteplaza.es)