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Teachers' strike: mobilizations in Lleida and pressure over budgets

Teachers continue protests in Lleida while awaiting a government proposal to unblock salary and budget negotiations.

Generic image of teachers protesting in Catalonia.
IA

Generic image of teachers protesting in Catalonia.

The first week of teacher mobilizations in Lleida concludes without an agreement between unions and the Department of Education, with protests including road blockades and marches in the city center.

The teachers' mobilization began the day with blockades on the N-240 road, connecting Lleida with Huesca, obstructing access to the capital of Ponent. Subsequently, protesters moved through the city center, heading towards the PSC headquarters, where they expressed their discontent with chants like “Illa, we don't want petty cash”. The presence of riot police from the Mossos d'Esquadra also drew criticism from protesters regarding the alleged espionage case against teachers.
Demonstrations also took place in La Seu d’Urgell. Unions maintain that the strike had a 50% participation rate, while Education has lowered this figure to 15%. Rosa Aguilà, a representative from USTEC in Lleida, emphasized the union's demand to “open the seams of this agreement and talk about everything”, including not only resources for inclusive education but also workload, class sizes, and salaries.
This fourth day of strikes, focused on schools in Ponent, follows a failed negotiation between the department and the unions. While positions are converging on inclusive education, salary differences persist. The Secretary for Educational Improvement, Ignasi Giménez, confirmed that the department will send a preliminary document with “lines of work” to resume negotiations at the sectoral table, which has been reconvened for next Tuesday.
The teachers' situation unfolds amidst political uncertainty, with attention focused on the potential approval of the Generalitat's budgets. Following the Andalusian elections, Esquerra Republicana has called a national council meeting to decide on the accounts proposed by Illa. ERC has shown flexibility regarding personal income tax collection and has moved closer to the PSC on issues like the orbital train.
The Government has pointed to the lack of budget as an obstacle to expanding the agreement signed with UGT and CCOO, which is rejected by the majority unions such as USTEC and Professors de Secundària. The rapprochement between the Government and ERC, along with the PSC's agreement with the Comuns, opens a new avenue for teachers. Union representatives in Lleida expect a proposal “with substance” by next Tuesday.
USTEC has lamented that political groups have not prioritized the educational conflict in budget negotiations, although the opposition has pressured Illa over the tension in schools. Giménez has reiterated that the department has 2 billion euros available to implement the current agreement, and that the objective is to “squeeze” this pact to its maximum.

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