Iolanda Segura: "With a proposal of 400 euros per month we could talk about lifting the protest"

L'ARA interviews Iolanda Segura, spokesperson for USTEC, a few hours before the general strike in the Catalan education sector begins and after the controversies over the infiltration of two Mossos d'Esquadra agents at a teachers' assembly and the pilot test that plans to integrate an undercover agent in some centers to improve coexistence.

How long has it been since you spoke with the Minister of Education?

— We met with the councilor when she returned. We explained to her how the situation was and what we were willing to accept. We were open to negotiating and told her where things could go in order to reach an agreement.

And where could they go? What are the concrete proposals that could make the protest subside?

— In terms of staffing, the agreement includes a series of measures that we negotiated, such as the reduction of ratios and the provision of resources for educational centers and for inclusive education. We are talking about both labor and teaching positions, special education educators, integrators, TEEI, and psychopedagogues. The agreement placed all of this two years ahead. We said we could talk if this started to be implemented next academic year. And this is what [the Government] has done now. The latest announcement from the ministry is that they will provide 500 more staff positions next academic year. Resources that were not contemplated in the agreement and were a proposal from USTEC. And then, on a salary scale, from the maximum we want to the minimum they propose, there is a middle ground.

What is this midpoint?

— With between 400 and 500 euros per month we could talk about it. It is a proposal that could be put on the table and see if the collective considers it acceptable, because with this we reverse a situation of salary injustice.

If Education were to make this proposal now and set calendars, would the cycle of mobilizations be halted?

— If the collective tells us we have to sign it, yes. If we carry out this mobilization, it is to force negotiations and reach a good agreement. For example, if it is scheduled that 200 euros will be paid this first year and then the rest in two or three more years, we could finish negotiating and see what the collective tells us. But what is non-negotiable is 200 euros over four years, because everyone knows perfectly well that this neither places us at the top of salaries in the rest of the communities nor reverses the salary loss. If we manage to reverse the situation now, we cannot consider the conflict closed, but we can call off the mobilizations. But we will not sign anything if the collective does not give us the go-ahead.

The councilor said she has summoned all unions to a meeting of the table on Thursday. Will they go?

— We have not yet received this official call, we have learned about it through the press, as is customary. Nor has it told us in what terms this meeting will be held and if these demands will be placed on the table and we will be able to negotiate them. If we have to go, we will go, but always if we are going to negotiate at this meeting.

If after this cycle of mobilizations no agreement is reached, what scenario opens up?

— A busy September-October, of course. This doesn't end here. Evidently there will be a weariness from the mobilization, it could happen, but there are many other ways to move forward. For example, that more centers join in not doing outings or camps or not doing any activity of those we have been sustaining with all the volunteer work in the world. Everything that goes beyond the day-to-day will stop being done, with which the education of our children loses quality. And the only one responsible will again be the administration.

Do you think families find a mobilization of this magnitude reasonable?

— We have the families on our side. There are always dissenting voices, but generally the educational community supports us.

Aren't you worried that the 17 days of mobilizations will make you lose the families' complicity?

— No, on the contrary. I believe many understand that this limit has been reached due to the administration. Affac [the federation of associations of families of students in Catalonia] has issued a statement where it calls on the administration's responsibility to redirect this conflict. It is very clear that there is indeed social support.

In recent years there has been an increase in complexity in classrooms, there is a shortage of staff, and more is asked of schools and teachers every day, but it is also true that there has been a significant drop in standards. Do you feel responsible?

— No, because the drop in results has been correlative to the increase in complexity in classrooms. This has a very easy translation. The complexity in classrooms has increased and sufficient resources have not been provided. In fact, complexity has grown by 30%, and resources by 8 or 10%. This is very unbalanced. You cannot expect the same results. It's impossible, because if I attend to one student, I am neglecting the others. I need more hands in the classroom. The bad results come from here.

Beyond the strike, in recent days the news has focused on the case of two agents of the Mossos d’Esquadra who infiltrated an assembly of teachers in Barcelona. How were they detected?

— We realized because the performance was so sloppy... If you're going to spy, at least do it well, and have these people find an alibi. They came to an environment where there are assemblies that have been held other times, where more or less everyone knows each other already, and they were singing loudly in the middle of it; they didn't participate, but they took a lot of notes and were quite neatly dressed. When asked which center they worked at, they couldn't give an answer. When they saw themselves cornered, they said they had to leave. Afterwards, the checks could be made and the Mossos have confirmed that this infiltration had indeed occurred. This is disproportionate because the right to assemble, the right to unionize, and the right to hold assemblies are being violated. There is a very serious and unacceptable interference.

This weekend the councilor explained that, once the case was known, someone from her team had spoken with the unions about this move.

— It is not true. I don't know why this information has been given. We have not been given any explanation. It is such a serious fact that it attacks the state of democracy in this country. We will take it to the courts and we demand the resignation of the Minister of the Interior and, by default, of the Director General of the Police.

We have also recently learned about the pilot plan to integrate an undercover agent in some schools and institutes. Had the Government informed them of this test?

— No, nobody knew that. In fact, they themselves admit that they did not want to communicate it and apparently intended to implement it without making it known; which is also absolutely serious. And it also makes one think badly, because there is no written documentation with the elaborated plan that collects objectives, details the interventions, the justification of why... Nothing.

From the Government it has been justified that some centers had requested it. Is this known to you?

— We have no record of it, but if any institute requests it because their particular situation requires it, then the action is carried out for that institute and that's it. A pilot plan is not developed to implement it in the rest. A mosso is a security force agent. He has no business in a school.

Have you noticed an increase in conflict in classrooms?

— Yes, we increasingly have students in extreme situations who express their discomfort with behaviors that can become aggressive. Respect for professionals has also been lost. But this can also be redirected with education and restorative practices.