The Conselleria de Educación of the Generalitat Valenciana and three teachers’ unions concluded their talks on 3 November in València without any significant movement towards agreement. The only concrete decision was to convene a technical working group on 10 November, devoted exclusively to staffing plans (plantillas). No overall timetable was agreed for the forthcoming negotiations before the 30 November deadline set by the unions.
The meeting with Consellera Carmen Ortí and the secretario autonómico Daniel McEvoy was attended by representatives of STEPV, CCOO-PV and UGT-PV . At the unions’ insistence, Sandra Cáceres, spokesperson for the Coordinadora d’Assemblees Docents del País Valencià (CADPV), was also present. According to the unions, the education administration remained vague on key issues, including pay improvements, language policy regulation of Valencian and school staffing.
The administration proposed a hybrid approach: outstanding issues would be examined at the 47 thematic sessions already scheduled and, if necessary, negotiated separately. The unions rejected this. STEPV representative Marc Candela criticised the format, saying it would cause delays rather than resolve disputed issues swiftly and as a package. On Friday, the Conselleria did not provide a binding schedule of meetings on the individual sets of demands.
The immediate consequence is that the protests will continue. STEPV, CCOO-PV and UGT-PV are still urging people to take part in the education-sector strike scheduled for 11 November . Until then, they expect tangible commitments on staffing plans and signals of progress on their other demands. The unions warned that mobilisation could be stepped up if no progress is made.
The issues include increasing staffing, reducing teaching workloads, reliable cover arrangements, investment in buildings and equipment, and funding for these measures. The unions see the focus agreed for 10 November on plantillas as a test of whether the Conselleria is willing to adjust measurable parameters such as class sizes and staffing ratios. The education administration, by contrast, says measures need to fit within existing planning and budget cycles.
The situation therefore remains tense: while the Conselleria seeks to gain time and establish regular procedures, the unions are pressing for concrete commitments that can be checked in the short term. It remains to be seen whether the technical meeting on 10 November will break the deadlock.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).