A group of approximately 200 teachers responded to a strike call this Wednesday in Tortosa, organizing a march through the city streets. The protest, led by a CGT banner with the slogan "No to the cuts, education continues in struggle", began at Plaça 1 d’octubre and proceeded towards the headquarters of the territorial services of Education in the historic center.
The demonstrators expressed their strong opposition to the pact reached the previous week between USTEC and the Department of Education, deeming it "insufficient". They emphasized that the announcement of extra funding for inclusive education "will not solve the problem" and described the salary increase as "not a pay rise, but an update".
The route, which started in the Ferreries neighborhood, concluded at Plaça Gerard Vergés, in front of the Government delegation building. During the march, critical slogans were heard against the Minister of Education, and underinvestment in the educational system was denounced. The event included speeches from the CGT, the reading of a letter, a protest musical performance, and a vermouth.
Sources from the CGT acknowledged that participation might have been lower than in previous protests, attributing it to "tension" among unions. However, they defended the importance of maintaining pressure to reject the preliminary agreement and "vote NO". Enric Segarra, a representative of the CGT in Terres de l’Ebre, stated: "The educational community has shown enough strength. If we don't protest, they don't listen to us".
Segarra announced that the union, along with center assemblies, is preparing a new schedule of mobilizations starting in September. They also plan to leverage relevant events to highlight the discontent of the critical collective.
Both the CGT and the Assemblea de Docents de les Terres de l’Ebre believe that the proposed increase in teaching staff is insufficient to address the needs of inclusive education. They recalled that the incorporation of 6,400 additional teachers over four years "does not even provide two professionals per center".
Santi Martí, a teacher at Consol Ferrer in Amposta, described inclusive education as a "facade of the Department" and pointed out that the current situation is "unsustainable" given the number of students with difficulties. The protest also highlighted the precarious situation of Educational Support Staff (PAE) and teaching assistants, some earning less than 1,000 euros.
Regarding remuneration, the unions argue that it is not a salary increase but a partial recovery of losses accumulated since the economic crisis, criticizing the lack of inflation adjustment and the breach of union agreements. They also lament that the education budget remains below 3% of GDP, far from the 6% stipulated by the Catalan Education Law (LEC).
