Core of the Strike: Five Key Demands Highlighting Sector-Wide Crisis
On April 7, 2026, an indefinite strike initiated by the Early Childhood Education Workers’ Platform (la Plataforma Laboral de Escuelas Infantiles), with the support of the General Confederation of Labour (CGT), officially began in the Community of Madrid. The striking workers have presented five clear core demands to education authorities, aimed at fundamentally improving their working conditions:
Lower Teacher-to-Child Ratios: Teachers are demanding a reduction in ratios to one educator for every 3 infants under 1 year old, 5 toddlers aged 1-2, and 6 children aged 2-3. They point out that current averages require them to care for up to 8 infants, 14 toddlers (1-2 years), or 20 children (2-3 years) simultaneously, which exceeds their capacity for safe and effective care and poses real risks.
Guarantee of Dignified Wages: Striking teachers state that their net monthly income of just €1080 makes it difficult to afford a basic living in Madrid. They believe the value of their labor—caring for society’s most precious asset, its children—is not being properly respected or compensated.
Adjust Working Hours and Duties: The demands include aligning their work calendar with other educational stages (currently, nursery teachers must work in July) and adding 5 non-teaching hours per week for lesson planning, preparing materials, and other administrative tasks. Currently, only one hour per week is allocated for such preparations, forcing them to complete the rest of the work outside of their paid hours.
Enhance Professional Recognition: They call on the government to prioritize the quality of educational projects over economic bids during public tendering processes, ensuring that educational facilities are well-maintained.
Provide Job Security: The demands also include the provision of long-term, permanent contracts and securing the right for teachers to retire from the age of 62.
Official Response and Scope of the Strike
In response to the strike, the Community of Madrid’s Minister of Education, Mercedes Zarzalejo, has characterized it as a ‘labor dispute’ between private nurseries and their employers. She publicly stated that these are merely demands made by employees to their bosses. However, according to information from the strike organizers, the industrial action has already begun to spread to public nursery schools and is not limited to private institutions, indicating the widespread nature of the problem.
Impact on Families and Social Debate
The strike has posed immense challenges for dual-income families who rely on childcare services. Although striking nurseries have advised parents to avoid sending their children to school during the initial phase of the strike if possible, many families have no other option and must bring their children to centers with reduced services. This means children may not be cared for by their regular teachers, and the level of attention to daily routines like meals, naps, and hygiene is consequently diminished.
Meanwhile, there are differing opinions within society. Some commentators point out that the €1080 mentioned by the teachers is their net, after-tax income, and their gross salary, including taxes and social security contributions, might be higher (e.g., €1580 for a teacher’s position, €1245 for an educator’s assistant role). Furthermore, there is a debate over the actual working hours of the teachers. Some argue the workload is not particularly high, while others support the teachers, noting that they often need to arrive early to prepare and that their work is very demanding.
The Context of Privatization in Madrid
This strike is not an isolated event. As one of Spain’s most economically dynamic regions, Madrid has recently seen frequent protests across various sectors, including primary healthcare, agriculture, transportation, and higher education. Some of these strikes are rooted in the long-term policies of privatizing education and healthcare pursued by the Community of Madrid. This focus on developing private institutions can, on one hand, lead the private sector to squeeze employee benefits in pursuit of profit, triggering labor disputes. On the other hand, limits on investment in public resources can also indirectly affect the working conditions and pay of employees in public institutions.
