Hundreds of Barcelona education workers protested on Thursday, demanding a €473 monthly pay rise. Consequently, they escalated their dispute with the Catalan government over pay and working conditions. The protest disrupted traffic from Gràcia to the Department of Education headquarters. Moreover, it highlighted a growing rift between support staff and the administration of Councilor Esther Niubó. That debate has been building for months — we covered it in protests over education cuts in Gràcia.
Barcelona Education Workers Protest: Dispute Over Pay and Classification
The Barcelona education workers protest was driven by a specific demand for a €473 monthly salary supplement. Beyond the financial claim, workers seek significant changes to their professional classification and working hours. The strike action specifically involves the “personal laboral”—a collective of approximately 6,000 professionals. This group includes special education assistants, social integrators, physiotherapists, speech therapists, and kitchen and cleaning staff. That debate has been building for months — we covered it in recent labor protests by Catalan health workers.
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Home » Barcelona Education Workers Protest: Staff Demand €473 Pay Rise
According to the Guardia Urbana, around 700 people joined the march. However, union organisers put the figure much higher. They estimated turnout at 50% of the workforce and claimed over 2,500 staff members attended the rally. That debate has been building for months — we covered it in recent transport worker protests over safety.
Stalled Negotiations Spark Anger at Barcelona Education Workers Protest
Tensions have risen following what unions describe as a breakdown in dialogue. The protest followed the cancellation of a negotiation meeting scheduled for Wednesday. Unions claim the government called it off due to a “lack of proposals”.
The marchers expressed their frustration vividly. They carried a large effigy of Councilor Niubó clutching a sack of money. This was a direct criticism of the Department’s budgetary management. Chants of “More resources, fewer speeches” and “We are not invisible, we are indispensable” rang out along the route. Firecrackers accompanied the protest.
“It is unacceptable that after months of meetings, the Department has gone to the negotiation tables without any proposal,” union representatives stated. Therefore, they demanded that the administration present a “worked-out and concrete economic proposal” before the next scheduled meeting on 3 February.
Union Unity in Barcelona Education Workers Protest
The strike was called by a unitary front of major unions including USTEC, CGT, CCOO, UGT, and Junts Docents de Religió. In a statement released prior to the strike, titled La gran estafa (The Great Scam), the USTEC union outlined the neglect felt by support staff. These staff play a critical role in the functioning of Catalan schools but feel sidelined compared to teaching staff.
Following the march, five representatives from the organising unions gained access to the Department of Education building. They formally registered their demands there. While the Department places the strike follow-up at just 8.63%, the visibility of the protest suggests the conflict is far from resolved. For more context on public sector labour disputes, you can read about European labour trends on the BBC.
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