40,000 Teachers March Across Valencia on First Day of Indefinite Strike — the First Since 1988

The First Indefinite Strike Since 1988

Teachers across the Valencian Community began an indefinite strike on May 11 — the first such action in the region's education sector since 1988. Thousands took to the streets in four cities simultaneously, with unions and demonstrators demanding an end to what they describe as two decades of wage erosion.

The approximate turnout across the region:

• Valencia: 20,000+
• Alicante: 12,000
• Castellón de la Plana: 5,100
• Elche: 2,800

Total: approximately 40,000 people across the four cities.

The Impact on Classrooms

Unions claimed up to 90% of public education classes were affected by midday on the first day. The regional government (Generalitat) put the figure at 47% of classes impacted and official teacher participation at 50.12%. 100% minimum services were mandated for second-year baccalaureate classes to protect students preparing for June's university entrance exams (selectividad).

What Teachers Are Demanding

The unions — CSIF, CCOO, STEPV and the Coordinator of Teaching Assemblies of the Valencian Country — are demanding:

• Salary restoration of roughly €300–500 gross per month to recover purchasing power lost since the 2010 austerity cuts
• Reduced class sizes — opposition to classes exceeding 30 pupils
• More teaching staff across the system
• Improved SEN budgets for students with specific needs
• Less bureaucracy and better school infrastructure
• More Valencian language instruction

Valencia's teachers are reportedly among the lowest-paid educators in Spain relative to the cost of living.

The Government's Offer — and Why It Was Rejected

The Generalitat offered salary increases of €75 gross per month, phased in over three years. Unions dismissed this as "ridiculous" — wholly inadequate to address twenty years of wage erosion. CSIF's Jose Seco said the strike would "force the government to make a reasonable counteroffer."

Education Minister Carmen Ortí said she kept "channels of dialogue open" and would convene unions "as soon as possible," with the next formally scheduled meeting set for June 9. "As long as a real and effective negotiation is not initiated, the indefinite strike will be maintained," the unions responded.

Each strike day costs participating teachers approximately 1.4 days of salary — a sacrifice many said they were willing to make. As mathematics teachers Rosa Amorós and Lidia Moragón put it: "We will resist to the maximum."

This article is based on reporting from The Olive Press, published May 11, 2026.