Education unions in the Valencian Community have ruled out immediately resuming strike action but are planning protests ahead of the new school year.
STEPV, CCOO and UGT have announced demonstrations in Alicante, Valencia and Castellón on Saturday, September 12. Further workplace protests are also expected, although no new strike has been scheduled.
The announcement follows last term’s lengthy industrial dispute over teachers’ pay, classroom sizes, staffing, infrastructure and support for the Valencian language.
STEPV spokesperson Marc Candela said the union remained committed to campaigning but confirmed that another strike was not currently planned. Teachers are instead being encouraged to continue wearing green T-shirts as a symbol of protest.
A pay agreement signed in May by CSIF and ANPE provides teachers with a €200 monthly increase introduced in stages. The first €75 is due this academic year, followed by another €75 next year and a final €50 instalment.
However, STEPV says there is uncertainty over whether the first increase will appear in September’s salaries. Payroll updates are often delayed until January, although they have previously been introduced at the start of the academic year.
ANPE opposes renewed strike action while negotiations with the regional Education Ministry continue. Alicante provincial president Alberto Merás said teachers had already suffered financial losses during the previous dispute and had now secured a salary agreement.
CSIF will consult its members before deciding its next steps. Provincial education coordinator Miguel Ángel Mas said classroom ratios remained too high and additional teachers were urgently needed.
Schools are meanwhile facing difficulties preparing for classes to resume on Wednesday, September 9. Carlos Justo, president of the Valencian association of public-school directors, warned that some vacancies may remain unfilled because the regional administration will not begin assigning replacements for illness, pregnancy and maternity leave until September 7.
Headteachers have also complained that official instructions for the 2026–27 academic year arrived late following the industrial dispute.
Concerns remain about classroom temperatures. The Generalitat allocated between €5,000 and €25,000 to each of 1,616 schools in July for urgent cooling measures, including portable air-conditioning units and associated electrical work.
However, school representatives say the money arrived too late for all necessary work to be completed before pupils return. Parent groups in Alicante have also accused the city council of failing to provide the electrical upgrades needed at several schools.
The Education Ministry is expected to outline its preparations for the new school year at a press conference on September 7.
