The indefinite strike of teachers in Madrid's public education reaches its tenth day. The Community of Madrid has refused to negotiate, and the six public campuses will join with two days of strikes in November.
According to Público, the indefinite strike of teachers in non-university public education in the Community of Madrid reaches its tenth day this Friday. President Isabel Díaz Ayuso and Education Minister Mercedes Zarzalejo have not accepted to negotiate with the teachers.
The unions are demanding improvements in the quality of a public school that, they claim, has been suffering from "institutional neglect" for years. The head of Public Education at UGT, Chema Pinto, asserts that "the entire public school system in the Community of Madrid is mistreated" and insists that the fight is strengthened. According to the union leader, participation remains high after ten days of strikes, which have already reduced the wages of the strikers.
The entire public school system in the Community of Madrid is mistreated.
The General Secretary of the Education Federation of CCOO Madrid, Aida San Millán, states that tensions are rising due to Ayuso's statements and that the teachers do not intend to give up without negotiations. The teachers have incurred a loss of about 1,400 euros gross.
On the streets, there have been at least five demonstrations since the strike began. The one on Thursday started from Atocha at 18:00 and reached the Ministry of Education, with thousands of teachers, students, and families under the slogan "Public school for everyone, by everyone".
The six public universities in Madrid are now joining the mobilisations. Grouped in the Coordinator for the Defence of Public University, they are calling for two days of strikes on November 4 and 5. They denounce the chronic underfunding of the campuses, the privatisation and commodification of higher education, and reject the recent police charges against teachers and students.
The Coordinator asserts that university funding remains at 0.4% of GDP, compared to the 1% set by the Organic Law of the University System, the national average of 0.75%, and the European average of 0.92%. The rectors signed the Multiannual Financing Plan with the regional government on March 3, but the organisation states in a press release:
We have been in conflict with Ayuso's government since December 2024.
The coordinator describes the agreement as a "scam" and holds both the PP government and the Conference of Rectors of Public Universities of Madrid (CRUMA) responsible. The upcoming dates for users of the public university are November 4 and 5, when the Madrid campuses plan to strike.
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