Repeal of the Educational Freedom Law and Reduction of Class Sizes: Demands in the General Strike on May 29

General strike called across the Valencian Community for Thursday, May 29. The strike has been led by the unions CGT, CNT, COS, and Intersindical Valenciana. As part of this last entity, STEPV has put forward a series of demands in the educational field, aimed at "strengthening the public service, as well as improving the working conditions of teachers."

Firstly, they demand the recovery of purchasing power of salaries, which includes alignment with the CPI, equalization of all teaching bodies to group A1, recovery of the full extra pay, and payment of July to members of opposition tribunals.

They also call for the repeal of the Educational Freedom Law, as they believe this law "harms public schools," and advocate for a reduction in student-to-teacher ratios per classroom, as well as a decrease in administrative bureaucracy that burdens teachers.

Regarding the situation of temporary teachers, they demand stability and solutions to the abuse of temporality, promoting a system that provides job security to this group. They also advocate for the right to retire at 60 for all teachers, considering this measure essential for improving the quality of life of educators, and oppose staff cuts, demanding the maintenance of agreements on teaching staff that ensure sufficient teachers to guarantee educational quality.

On the other hand, the union demands the immediate reconstruction of educational centers damaged by the DANA and the recovery of the budget allocated to educational infrastructures, to ensure that schools have adequate facilities for teaching development.

In a broader context, the four unions calling for the strike demand criminal accountability for the deaths of workers during the DANA while performing their duties, as well as the recognition of a Permanent Absolute Disability with lifelong benefits for workers who request it and have lost family members due to this phenomenon.

The union calls for the reversal of privatizations, a strengthening of public services, and the improvement of working conditions for public sector staff. Another demand is the creation of an unlimited paid leave in the face of meteorological alerts or flood risks, in addition to the request for a reduction of the working week to 32 hours or 4 working days.

In terms of housing, the union defends the right to a "decent home," demanding control of rental and sale prices, as well as the creation of a public rental housing stock.