On Tuesday I had called for a strike in public services, but I did not normally participate. I went to the ikastola and got a little bit of a gym. The idea was to work according to the school's needs, but what I would be dissatisfied with doing a strike that day was handed over to the AMPA. It could be said that I have done “wage strike”, if you will. Explain more.

I understand the concept of strike: in a normal capitalist company, the workers receive the wages and the superiors the maximum benefit, so with strikes the bosses lose the money or stop winning and receive the pressure of a new treatment.

But in public services? It's the opposite! What you pay us saves money and the damage is suffered by the citizens (all the staff). In any case, it could be argued that the person responsible for public services (government or) receives electoral damage, but I do not believe that this is a major pressure. (No, I am not against the strike, I want to claim good strikes.)

In addition, trade unions do not prepare calls in a participatory manner. Of course, someone can tell me that I would have to join a union. I'm affiliated, it's not enough. Someone can tell me that I have to get closer and participate closely, but I disagree. I am saying that unions are teachers (or health workers, etc.) They would have to ask everyone better what we really are asking for. Of course, not for our benefit, but for what needs to be demanded to improve the public service. (No, I am not against the trade unions, no less bad than there is).

With regard to education, the priority is clearly to lower the ratios. But Tuesday's call is not a priority. It should be assumed that the “relief of workloads, guaranteeing the health of the staff” is within the phrase, but focuses on the worker and is uncomfortable. No, demontre, defend the public service. (Do not tell me that the worker has to be well for the service to be good, I know that and yet I am saying that the focus has to be put on the service, because it is logically poorer what the public service receives than what it gives).

It is uncomfortable to strike with demands that I do not read at ease. And doing the usual thing with inertia: getting up a little later on the day of the strike, after having coffee with your peers before the demonstration and going home. What do we find out about the money? It's not a sacrifice for most. (No, I do not say that the strikers are hypocritical, but that the majority bothers the strike, at least I think it is the sixth strike of this course on a day off.)

And what happens at school? On Tuesday I saw it for the first time -- only six children came. Six! From the direction they have been doing “good” the job: communicating the strike well and the right to come, but it will not be a normal day. (You may think it's done well, you may think it).

What about teachers? Well, 20! Each EUR 100 on Tuesday = EUR 2,000 public. They used to prepare classes for the coming days or to anticipate the absurd bureaucracy imposed by the administration (and I too). How many of them really needed that money? At least one I do know. How many of you decided to come to advance accumulated jobs? At least one I do know. Are others critical of the call? I was very attentive to hearing these kinds of arguments (and ready to protect that right to argue), but there was no. So my peers are demobilized workers or bystanders, and I don't know if it's different. (No, mate, if you need today's salary or you're critical of the call, I haven't called you schirol. Just in case I repeat it).

In fact, as a total schirol, I don't perceive anyone. On Tuesday, I didn't feel in the skiroles killing people with a laser gaze. At first I was very tight, but I talked more and more with my colleagues and we worked: we talked about one child, another, the ikastola, about the works to be done in writing, about a collective conflict to be managed… It is curious, we don’t talk all day about the contents to teach, it will be a sign of something. I spoke calmly to a student who came and had a very usable conversation. I was clothed, I was on strike and I just knew. I felt much better than going to Manifesto.

The teachers who are about to retire told me that in their day binding strikes were taking place in the café of the previous strike. As a cloister, we voted whether or not to join the call. The result of the vote was then respected: everyone did strike, or no one did strike. Then it changed the law or I don’t know what, there are minimal services… But I think we should go back to that. And if it turns out no, we won't create that anxiety among the students. Because you will know what the children are upset (imagine, a child asked me the other day “next week(!) What day is there no class?") Instead, if the strike is decided yes, the call will be because it is well argued and we will do it almost all. It will then be agreed who should comply with the minimum services. I'm going to ask my fellow managers to look at this.

A colleague has told me: for a better strike we need to involve the families, come with us to manifest, before it was done. Well, it can be. But it's not easy, especially if those parents have to work. And when they tend to have jobs that are more precarious than us, if they feel that on this strike we are in favour of our conditions. In Tuesday’s call, as can be seen in the phrase “Wage increase of 10% and commitment to recover previously contracted debt”. All right, the teachers we strike also make an economic effort. But don't we rather lower the ratios? Is 10% of 10 teachers added and an eleventh teacher does not leave? We should not make less effort, but with fewer students or patients we would get better results. More health, quality and dignity for all.

As I am half a day, instead of EUR 100, I will contribute EUR 50 to AMPA. An initiative was recently organized to send money to Gaza. I don't know if you're going to send it there or use it to buy balls, I don't care. The truth is that I would not be comfortable in the coffee+demonstration plan. Imagine if we kept the money of those days in the trade unions, the talks for ten years to come:

- How many days do you have on the strike? I twelve... and it seems that this year will be the big call.

- For seven moments, he will tell me how the issue is going.

...

As in Tuesday's experiment I went to work, I'm not told in the numbers. But I am clear that I have done both, I have given public service and I have made a strike. Count one more! How many people have attended work with similar doubts? How many more could be computed? How can we do better strikes in public services? The aim of this text was to think about it (too long). Thank you for reading.

Master of Primary Education Lemmy.eus in Vitoria-Gasteiz after the 12-3-2024 strike.