The meeting between Education and unions ends: "If they don't come with a proposal tomorrow, negotiations will break down"

BarcelonaThe day after a first meeting that broke the ice between the Department of Education and the education unions in search of a formula to stop protests in the sector, the majority union USTEC, together with Secondary School Teachers and the CGT, have made their counter-proposal public. At Thursday's meeting, the union organizations put forward that Education should update salaries according to the CPI and approve a progressive universal supplement for the entire collective, so that by 2029, primary school teachers will have an increase of 478 euros per month and secondary school teachers, 544 euros more. Regarding the system's conditions, they have requested an agreement to increase staff by 6,400 new positions. Although not appearing in the document, USTEC and CGT have insisted that this reinforcement would be primarily aimed at improving inclusive education.

Thursday's meeting between the ministry and the department ended after about two hours.

Upon leaving the meeting, the Secretary of Educational Improvement, Ignasi Giménez, explained that they had been presented with a counter-proposal that the Government believes is a "maximum proposal." "We understand that the proposal has interesting elements, but we need to analyze it," he assured. He also admitted that the economic impact of what the unions are asking for is difficult for the Department of Education to assume, but that he is optimistic about the dialogue.

According to the unions, the Government has conveyed to them that the new proposal presented by the union forces would have a cost of 1 billion euros and that "they have to analyze it."

Iolanda Segura, spokesperson for USTEC, explained that they came "with the clear intention of discussing the salary proposal" but the department told them "that they had not been able to look at it in depth." "If tomorrow they don't come with a proposal, for us it will be a breakdown of negotiations and the mobilization calendar could escalate towards the end of the school year," warned the spokesperson for the majority union. She also said that if the salary or inclusive education "fail," "the negotiation will no longer make sense."

Before the meeting with Education ended, CGT and La Intersindical walked away from the table, while emphasizing that they are not breaking off negotiations in any way. Laura Estapé from CGT explained that the department told them that the proposal brought by the unions this Thursday would cost 1 billion euros and that they need time to evaluate it. "They told us we should prioritize and we replied that they should tell us how much money is available. If they did it for the Mossos, they can do it for the education of this country," Estapé assured. She also explained that they walked away from the table when the administration started explaining the rollout of the already agreed-upon agreement, instead of moving forward with the new proposal.

Phased salary increase

In terms of salary, the three unions have demanded that the Government ensure that the increase from bonuses affects teachers globally —both primary school teachers and secondary school teachers—, that it be staggered, and that it start to be collected as early as the next academic year. On the other side of the table, Education proposed offering the option to improve – without clarifying in what terms – the payment of tutoring, co-tutoring, and bonuses for teachers in centers of maximum complexity, but the unions insist that the salary improvement must be for all teachers, without being linked to any position.

Specifically, the unions want a general salary increase of 6% this year and 4% for the following three years (4% in 2027, 4% in 2028, and 4% in 2029). For now, Education's offer consists of concentrating over three years – and not four, as initially agreed – the commitment for teachers to earn 3,000 euros gross more per year. This figure would represent an increase of about 200 euros gross per month. And, still within the group of salary improvements, the unions will also request that school trips be paid as overtime and with a night shift supplement.

The document, which ARA has accessed, also demands improvements in resources and conditions of the system, as well as in the curriculum. In the first case, they claim a review of ratios and that no public school center be closed, as well as reaching an agreement to increase staff by 6,400 new positions to strengthen inclusive education. In this regard, the Government has proposed 2,500 new staff members across all of education, half of whom would go to strengthen inclusive education; a figure far from what the unions aspire to.

Regarding curricula, the unions request that they always be clear and structured and that they always be negotiated —including changes— between the administration and the centers. They also want Education to stop the reform of the baccalaureate curriculum to avoid the merger of sciences, and to establish a timetable distribution of subjects agreed upon with professionals. Furthermore, they have also conveyed the need to review some aspects of the basic education decree.