Staff and students at Madrid’s six public universities have been called to strike on Wednesday and Thursday over regional government cuts. The action, organized by the Coordinadora en Defensa de la Universidad Pública, brings together unions including CCOO, UGT, CGT and CNT, as well as student groups. It is separate from the ongoing strike by non-university education staff in the region.
The strike follows a funding agreement signed in March by university rectors and the regional education department. The deal provides for €14.8 billion in investment in public campuses through 2031, but the organizers say it has not resolved the dispute. They argue that only a small share of the promised funding is guaranteed, with other sums earmarked for specific purposes or linked to targets.
The groups say Madrid’s university investment stands at 0.4% of regional GDP, compared with national and European figures of 0.75% and 0.92%, respectively. They want the regional government to meet the target in Spain’s Organic Law of the University System of allocating 1% of GDP to universities by 2031. Their proposal is to increase funding by 0.13 percentage points of GDP each year.
The platform has set out around ten demands, including higher pay, stable employment, career progression and replacement of every retiring worker. It also calls for an end to precarious contracts, full academic freedom in research and course planning, and less regional government and police involvement in campus life.
Several demands focus on what the organizers describe as the privatization of higher education in Madrid. The region has 14 private university campuses, compared with six public ones. The groups want the regional government to stop promoting private education and manage universities as a public service. They are also calling for the resignation of Education Minister Mercedes Zarzalejo.
The regional education department says the funding plan will provide the largest university budget in the region’s history. The university groups, however, say the basic allocation will rise by only 5% and that spending will remain at 0.39% of GDP in 2031.
The strike is open to teaching and research staff, administrative and service workers, and students at all six public universities. Minimum services will be in place on Wednesday and Thursday and will not cover teaching. Classes will not take place if the instructor does not attend or all students are absent.
Sources: El País Sociedad.