Approximately 600 euros separate the monthly salaries of Secondary and High School teachers at the Jesús Maestro school, located in the Chamberí district of Madrid. This disparity, affecting staff who teach at the same institution and watch the same students grow, has prompted a group of teachers to voice their concerns during recess.

The center, managed by the Fundación Escuela Teresiana, offers subsidized places in ESO (Compulsory Secondary Education) and private places in High School. While ESO teachers operate under an agreement co-financed by the public administration, the labor conditions for high school teachers are negotiated directly with the foundation, leading to the salary gap.

The affected teachers point out that the difference has become more pressing with the rising cost of living in Madrid. "It's not the same to earn 100 euros less per month [...] as it is to earn 600 euros less than other colleagues," they criticize, recalling that after the 2008 crisis, salaries were frozen and later only saw sporadic increases in the subsidized sector.

The silent protest, which took place between 11:45 AM and 12:10 PM, gathered about twenty teachers at the school's entrance. They report receiving "kind words" from the management and the foundation, but no concrete changes. "We only ask to be brought up to par," they state.

Furthermore, teachers highlight unpaid working hours, such as time dedicated to prayer in this religious institution, which is not reflected in the agreement and is perceived as necessary for contract renewal.

This mobilization occurs amidst negotiations for the 8th collective agreement for subsidized schools, where unions and employers aim to equalize the working conditions of their professionals with those in public education, arguing that the work performed is the same.