Education and unions reach pre-agreement after marathon day of negotiations and weeks of strikes

After weeks of strikes in the education sector, the government and majority unions, USTEC and Professors de Secundària (Secondary Teachers), have reached a pre-agreement over their labour dispute in the eighth day of negotiations, which lasted the whole day last Friday.

However, the other unions, CGT, Intersindical and COS, left the negotiations because their demands were not included.

The agreement incorporates €50 more than the previous offer for the newly created supplement for all teachers.

In four years, this will rise to €173, which added to the 30% increase in the supplement agreed with CCOO and UGT in March as well as state increases, will let teachers earn about €600 gross per month more in four years.

The USTEC and Professors de Secundària will submit the deal for consultation among their members.

With progressive raises over the next four years, teachers will receive €2,426.20 more per year in 2029.

Beyond the salary, the call for 5,000 chairs for secondary school teachers in two years is included, so that there would be 2,500 next year and the same amount the following year.

Friday's meeting lasted from 11am until after 10pm. 

Up until Friday, a total of 12 days of strike action have taken place.

Government satisfied with deal

The Secretary of Educational Improvement, Ignasi Giménez, said that Catalonia was once again taking "a big step forward."

"We understand that we are exercising responsibility to lay the foundations for this necessary transformation of the education system," he stated.

Union consultation

Both USTEC and Professors de Secundària have announced that they will submit the agreed text for consultation.

USTEC spokesperson Iolanda Segura said that after the "maximum pressure" exerted during the strike days, they have managed to reach a "pre-agreement proposal" with "very significant advances."

In fact, regarding the salary increase, she assured that "the foundations are being laid for this recovery of purchasing power."