Valencian Teachers Vote for Indefinite Strike from May 11 — Schools Could Face Weeks of Disruption

An Indefinite Strike — with the End of Term in Sight

Teachers across the Valencian Community are preparing to walk out from May 11 in what could become one of the most significant education strikes in the region in recent years. A consultation involving thousands of educators returned overwhelming support for industrial action, with May 11 the clear preference as a start date. Final confirmation is pending a formal union assembly, but momentum is firmly behind the strike going ahead.

If it proceeds as planned, the action could run into the final weeks of the school year — a timing that has already prompted concern from parent associations and families across the region.

Why Teachers Are Striking

At the root of the dispute is a breakdown in negotiations between teaching unions and the Valencian regional education authorities. Unions describe months of discussions as having produced no meaningful progress, with talks now "effectively stalled."

The core demands centre on:

• Salary restoration — recovering purchasing power lost to inflation in recent years
• Reduced class sizes — overcrowding in classrooms is cited as a persistent problem affecting both teaching quality and working conditions
• More teaching staff — expanded headcount to address shortfalls across the system
• Improved school infrastructure — investment in ageing buildings and facilities
• Better working conditions overall — a set of demands unions argue are essential not just for teachers, but for the standard of education students receive

After repeated rounds of negotiations without concrete proposals from the regional government, unions have concluded that escalating to industrial action is the only remaining lever available to them.

High Participation Expected — with Some Reservations

The consultation results suggest participation in the strike could be substantial. A large majority indicated they would support action regardless of format — pointing to widespread dissatisfaction across the sector.

Some educators remain hesitant. The main concerns are financial — taking part in an indefinite strike means a loss of income — and the timing, with the end-of-year exam and assessment period approaching. Others worry about the impact on students who are completing their final stretch of work before summer.

Even so, the overall direction within the profession is clearly toward collective action.

What Families Should Know

Parent associations across the Valencian Community have expressed understanding and even sympathy for teachers' demands — many acknowledge that the structural problems being highlighted go beyond a labour dispute and directly affect the quality of education. But they are urging both sides to reach an agreement quickly.

For families with children in Valencian state schools — including expat families whose children attend public education — the practical implications are real:

• An indefinite strike starting May 11 could disrupt the final weeks of the academic year, including end-of-term assessments and activities
• Private and concerted (semi-private) schools are not affected by this action
• Minimum service levels will be set by the regional government if the strike goes ahead, but significant disruption to normal schooling should be expected

The next critical juncture is the union assembly where the final decision will be made. The regional government has been called on to return to the negotiating table before that point — if talks can be restarted and meaningful proposals emerge, the strike could yet be averted.

This article is based on reporting from Euro Weekly News, published April 28, 2026.