The indefinite strike of public education in Madrid continues this Monday, October 19, after three days of strikes and demonstrations without the convening unions and the Government of Isabel Díaz Ayuso reaching an agreement. The teachers have organized new protests for the next five days, including a demonstration on Thursday through the center of the capital, while insisting on their demands regarding salaries, teaching hours, and staffing in public centers.
The second week of the strike has begun with a traffic blockade on the A-3, at the height of Moratalaz, where a group of teachers has placed desks and chairs on the roadway. The unions have also called for a concentration this noon in front of the Ministry of Education, demanding that it negotiate the labor and organizational improvements they consider necessary for the functioning of public education.
The strikes, which began last Wednesday, October 14, are called by CCOO, CGT, CNT, Solidaridad Obrera, STEM, and UGT, along with the platforms Dignified Special Education, Less Teaching Hours, and We Want Vocational Training. The organizations demand concrete commitments from the regional government and, although they have announced mobilizations until Friday, they have not set a date to end the strike.
Five days of protests and a demonstration on Thursday
The unions have organized different activities for this week, with concentrations in front of regional institutions and assemblies in educational centers. After the protest this Monday in front of the Ministry, on Tuesday, October 20, the so-called "Green Tuesday" will be held, during which the teachers will meet to discuss their demands and the evolution of the strikes.
On Wednesday, October 21, the mobilizations will take place in different parts of the region, with territorial assemblies and decentralized actions. The goal of the conveners is to facilitate the participation of workers from different centers and municipalities, in addition to coordinating the protests of the coming days.
On Thursday, October 22, the teachers will concentrate between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM in front of the Assembly of Madrid, before returning to demonstrate in the afternoon through the center of the capital. The march will begin at 6:00 PM in Atocha and will end in front of the Ministry of Education.
The unions have called for Friday the 23rd, at 12:00 hours, a unitary assembly in the Plaza de Oriente, where teachers will discuss the continuation of the strike and the upcoming mobilizations.
A first week of strike with disparate follow-up figures
The protests began on Wednesday, October 14, and during its first three days brought together teachers from different educational stages, from Early Childhood and Primary to Secondary, Baccalaureate, and Vocational Training. The demonstrations traversed several streets in the center of Madrid and were accompanied by gatherings in front of the Ministry and other actions organized by the workers.
The unions estimated the participation in the strike at 70% during the first day, held on Wednesday, October 14, compared to the 44% reported by the Ministry of Education. This gap between figures was repeated on Thursday, when the union organizations placed participation at 60%, while the regional government lowered it to 26.7%.
During the first days, early childhood educators blocked traffic on Paseo de la Castellana and teachers organized a human chain in front of the Ministry of Education. On Friday, thousands of teachers demonstrated from Atocha to Puerta del Sol, in a march after which the unions announced that the strike would continue the following week.
The Ministry has questioned the motivations for the call and considers that there is a political and electoral component in the mobilizations. The union organizations reject that interpretation and argue that their demands respond to labor and educational problems that they have been raising with the regional government for some time.
The reduction of teaching hours and the improvement of staff, among the main demands
The teachers demand a reduction of teaching hours that allows them to dedicate more time to class preparation, coordination with other professionals, and individualized attention to students. The unions believe that the current distribution of the day, along with the volume of administrative tasks, hinders the development of these functions and increases the workload.
They also demand salary improvements, a decrease in the student-to-class ratios, and the hiring of more professionals, especially in those centers that need to strengthen support for students with specific educational support needs.
The unions also demand improvements in the facilities of educational centers, more material resources, and a reduction of the bureaucratic burden on teachers. These demands are joined by those of the Special Education and Vocational Training platforms, which call for specific measures for their respective educational stages.
The unions link these demands to both the working conditions of teachers and the quality of education that students receive, and they consider that any agreement with the Administration must include improvements in both areas.