A new conflict has erupted in Madrid between city authorities and municipal kindergarten staff. During a session at Cibeles discussing their working conditions, several dozen employees were removed from the hall after loudly expressing dissatisfaction with the city council’s actions. The strike in the sector has been ongoing for the fourth week now, and the demands to the city authorities remain unchanged: higher salaries and a revision of contract terms.
The incident occurred after a speech by the councillor for social policy, family, and equality, José Fernández Sánchez. He assured that the city would act within the law and expressed gratitude to the staff for their work. However, his words provoked a sharp reaction: women dressed in yellow T-shirts—the protest symbol—stood up and began chanting slogans. In response, the session chair, Borja Fanjul, ordered all disorderly participants to be removed from the room. The protesters continued shouting demands and scattering leaflets as they left.
The strike and demands
Kindergarten staff are demanding that the city council stop renewing contracts that have not yet been officially formalized and revise existing agreements where their salaries do not exceed €1,220 per month. They insist that no new contracts be approved until the labor dispute is resolved. According to the city council, the opposition party Más Madrid’s proposal to halt contract renewals was rejected by a majority vote.
Response of the authorities and opposition
During the meeting, Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida addressed the protesters, stating that such actions would not yield results and hinted at a possible change in protest symbols in the future. Representatives of Más Madrid and PSOE supported the workers’ demands, also donning yellow T-shirts. However, the authorities insist that the process of reviewing contracts takes time and cannot be completed before September. This sparked a new wave of discontent and shouting, after which the chair threatened to suspend the session for an hour if the arguments did not cease. In the end, the meeting continued, while the protesters remained outside the building.
Context and consequences
The strike at Madrid’s municipal nurseries has been ongoing for a month, accompanied by regular demonstrations outside the Cibeles building and at Sol square. The workers insist on the urgent resolution of wages and working conditions. According to city officials, the contract review process requires lengthy procedures, adding further tension between the sides. The situation remains tense, and negotiations between the city council and employees have yet to produce a compromise.
