Catalan teachers began a week of strikes and protests Monday, escalating pressure on the Salvador Illa-led regional government as it prepares to debate its proposed budget in the Parliament. A general strike is planned for Friday, coinciding with the budget debate and ongoing resistance from the ERC party to lift its veto on key government proposals.
The strike action follows a vote in which 40,780 Catalan teachers rejected a deal brokered between the regional government and the CCOO and UGT unions, which the government had hailed as “historic” for improving working conditions. Only 2,185 teachers supported the agreement. The dissenting unions – USTEC, Profesores de Secundaria, CGT, and Intersindical – deemed the pact insufficient and proceeded with the planned strike from March 16th to 20th.
The initial phase of the strike focuses on schools in Barcelona, the surrounding municipalities of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Badalona, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, and Sant Adrià de Besòs, and the Baix Llobregat region. The action will then expand on Tuesday to the Penedès, Tarragona, and Terres de l’Ebre areas. Wednesday will see strikes in the Alt Pirineu and Aran, Catalonia Central, and Lleida, followed by a strike on Thursday in Girona, the Maresme, and the Vallès Oriental and Vallès Occidental regions. The week culminates on Friday with a region-wide strike across all Catalan schools and a demonstration planned in Barcelona at midday.
The timing of the teacher’s strike adds to the challenges facing the Illa government, which is simultaneously navigating a budget impasse. According to reports, ERC is demanding concessions regarding the transfer of tax collection authority, specifically the IRPF, to the Catalan government as a condition for supporting the budget. Salvador Illa has stated he does not intend to call elections despite the potential failure to pass the budget, mirroring a strategy employed by the national government under Pedro Sánchez.
The proposed budget, submitted to the Parliament on February 27th, includes a record level of spending in areas such as healthcare, education, and social services. However, its passage remains uncertain without the support of ERC. The government is reportedly attempting to reach a last-minute agreement with ERC, with March 19th identified as a key date for potential negotiations. If the budget fails to pass the initial vote on Friday, the possibility of early elections looms, though Illa has publicly stated his intention for the current legislature to run its full term.
