Overview
- The indefinite strike, which began on October 14, continues as public-school teachers press for a €600 monthly pay increase along with reduced teaching hours and lower student‑teacher ratios.
- Madrid's Education Ministry estimates the unions' €600 demand would cost about €750 million a year and says accepting it would consume a large share of the department's personnel budget.
- The regional government counters that Madrid ranks among the top regions once regional pay elements are included and points to nearly 100 productivity supplements paid to more than 44,000 teachers that raise many salaries.
- Negotiations over a separate 'carrera profesional horizontal' that could add up to €350 per month are under way but uneven, with multiple mesa sectorial meetings and at least one major union skipping the last session.
- The strike has pushed unions to formally demand urgent talks and warn of legal action, and Madrid officials say meeting all claims would force big budget shifts, extra staff costs and hundreds of new school places to lower ratios.