Before the 2026-27 school year began, the Catalan government appealed to teachers to reconsider a strike scheduled for September 8, the first day of classes. Government spokesperson Sílvia Paneque warned that the action could disrupt a critical moment for students starting at new schools or moving to new educational stages. She stressed the need to balance the right to strike with children’s right to education. The strike went ahead on September 8, called by USTEC, CGT and Intersindical after talks with the Department of Education failed to produce a broader settlement.
The dispute followed months of disagreement over pay and working conditions. Two agreements signed earlier in the year with CC OO, UGT and Profesores de Secundaria did not win support from all unions: the article’s reported union consultations found that 65% of teachers rejected the deals. USTEC, CGT, Intersindical, COS and CNT continued to oppose the agreements, arguing that major problems remained unresolved. By October, the department maintained that the May agreements should remain the operative structure, while unions pressed for renewed negotiations and improved staffing and resources for public education.
The Department of Education has consulted directly with school leaders and parent associations instead of reopening broad negotiations with unions. Before the start of term, Education Minister Esther Niubó met more than a hundred school directors and teachers from areas including Baix Llobregat, Penedès, Maresme and Girona. The discussions covered resource allocation for diverse student populations, administrative burdens, building maintenance, adapting facilities to high temperatures, substitute-teacher appointments and the impact of artificial intelligence in classrooms.
By October 23, the department was reported to consider the negotiation phase concluded and had no plans to reopen talks. Paneque reiterated the administration’s commitment to implementing existing agreements, while discussions with the wider education community continued. The unions, in turn, called for “genuine negotiations with the government” to improve working conditions and secure resources for public education that is inclusive and taught in Catalan. Their proposals included a demonstration involving the wider educational community and another strike day during the first school term.
A later union consultation organized by USTEC and other groups opposed to the agreements involved 32,845 teachers and education employees. It found that 50.2% were not currently willing to take part in further strikes, while 49.8% supported continuing strike action. Among those favoring further stoppages, the most popular options were one day, with 5,451 votes, and two days, with 5,183. The four models ranged from one Catalonia-wide strike day to four days combining territorial and Catalonia-wide actions. Support for further action had fallen from nearly 40,000 participants in a June consultation.
Strike days were not the only form of pressure: unions also maintained a boycott of school outings and residential educational activities. The October consultation showed a narrower appetite for further stoppages, while the dispute continued through other forms of mobilization. Further action was being considered for the first term, potentially alongside the general strike planned for November 11.
The standoff reflects wider tensions over improving conditions and resources in Catalonia’s public education system while keeping schools functioning. More than 1.5 million students are enrolled in public and semi-public schools in the region. The September strike made the start of classes a focal point of the conflict, while the later consultation showed the divide between teachers who favor continued industrial action and those reluctant to strike again. In a separate labor and public-safety story, ten people were injured during the San Fermín festival’s bull run in Pamplona, prompting debate over event management and participant safety.
