Thirteen administrative fines totaling €8,000 have been imposed on teachers and unions in the Valencian Community following recent protests in defense of public education. The Coordinadora d’Assemblees Docents del País Valencià (CADPV) confirmed that 11 teachers and one union have received sanctions linked to their participation in strikes and demonstrations. The organization denounced what it describes as a pattern of repression against educators who have opposed policies from the regional Education Department and the Valencian government.
CADPV says all the fines are directly tied to actions during the strike, including attendance at authorized gatherings and informational pickets. The group argues that the penalties target people who peacefully exercised their rights to assemble and take strike action. In response, unions have mobilized legal teams to support those affected, stressing collective action and solidarity. The Coordinadora urges any sanctioned teacher to seek legal advice before deciding whether to pay or appeal, and says no one should face these consequences alone.
The penalties come amid a wider labor dispute, with teachers weighing whether to resume strike action. RTVE reported on 18 October that unions planned to consult teaching staff after educators accused the Conselleria d’Educació of breaking dialogue and leaving the demands behind the previous school-year strike out of negotiations. Those demands cover pay, staffing and educational inclusion, as well as vocational training, infrastructure, pupil-teacher ratios and Valencian-language policy.
The negotiating process was disrupted when the Conselleria canceled a meeting with public-school unions scheduled for 21 October, citing its response to damage caused by DANA Adam. The unions called off a planned protest outside the department’s headquarters and sought a replacement meeting with Consellera Carmen Ortí. Valencia Plaza reported that the unions proposed a new negotiating timetable running from 27 October to 17 November, with further talks if the issues remained unresolved.
The scale of the mobilization has varied. ElPlural reported that thousands of teachers had taken between five and 15 strike days, while more than 800 reportedly maintained the stoppage for 23 working days. Proposed actions included further stoppages and other forms of protest, with a possible November campaign subject to an online vote among education professionals. The debate has also extended beyond strike days to measures such as strict adherence to contractual hours and suspending voluntary, non-mandatory activities under agreed safeguards.
CADPV also criticized recent legislative changes introduced by the Generalitat, which it says expand surveillance and control over classroom discussions. The reforms, embedded in the regional budget’s accompanying law and modifying Decree 80/2017, are seen by the group as an attempt to restrict what can be discussed or debated in schools. The changes have heightened educators’ concerns about freedom of expression and academic autonomy in Valencian classrooms.
Families have expressed support for teachers’ stoppages while objecting to pressure tactics that affect pupils. FAMPA-València warned that suspending excursions, “trobades,” end-of-year celebrations and other extracurricular activities could harm students. It called for arrangements to protect teachers’ safety and responsibilities during such activities.
To address the financial impact of the fines, the Coordinadora announced an ongoing fundraising lead through a resistance fund. The money is intended to cover penalties if legal challenges are unsuccessful. The organization maintains that the sanctions respond to public, peaceful advocacy for education rights, not unlawful conduct.
Support for the teachers comes amid broader debates about the role of public institutions and the boundaries of protest in Spain. The situation in Valencia echoes other recent cases in which government actions have drawn scrutiny, including the economic impact of major international productions in the region. Reports on the change of Ciudad de la Luz in Alicante have highlighted that impact: see coverage of the economic boost from Disney's filming.
Administrative sanctions for protest activity are not new in Spain, but the current wave in Valencia stands out for its focus on the education sector and the scale of the legal mobilization in response. The case reflects ongoing tensions between regional authorities and public-sector workers over free speech, labor rights and the governance of public education. The outcome of the legal process could shape how similar disputes are handled in the future.
