Strike at Barcelona's libraries threatens the Selectividad

Barcelona’s municipal libraries have been facing an indefinite strike since 26 May. The stoppage coincides with the university entrance exams and affects thousands of students. The conflict jeopardises work-life balance and opening during a key period.

The closure of municipal libraries in Barcelona threatens to disrupt the routine of those who rely on these spaces to study or unwind. Since 26 May, workers at the Consorci de Biblioteques and the provincial network of the Diputació have decided to begin an indefinite strike, right in the days before the university entrance exams. The measure, backed by the Intersindical and the CGT, adds to the Saturday stoppages that had already been affecting the city since April.

The protest arises from the lack of progress on work-life balance and the precariousness denounced by employees, a predominantly female and little-visible collective. The works council holds Barcelona City Council and the Consorci responsible for the closure of facilities in the middle of the exam period, leaving thousands of students without access to study rooms at a crucial time.

This Saturday, the mobilisation moves to the streets: workers from Biblioteques de Barcelona and the provincial network of the Diputació will demonstrate at 11:00 in Plaça de Sants. The route will pass landmark libraries such as Vapor Vell and Miquel Llongueras in the city, and Josep Janés and Tecla Sala in L'Hospitalet, making the scale of the conflict visible across the metropolitan area.

Barcelona’s public libraries do not only offer books and digital resources; they are meeting, study and cultural points for residents of all ages. Their network, managed by the Consorci de Biblioteques and the Diputació, has been key to democratising access to knowledge in the city. During the exam period, these spaces become a refuge for students seeking concentration and support, especially in neighbourhoods where access to quiet environments is limited.

The most relevant facts completing the context are: the university entrance exams will take place exactly on 9, 10 and 11 June, meaning that the indefinite strike of 26 May will fall two weeks before the exams, precisely during the most intensive study period. In the partial Saturday strikes already held since 20 April, workers have managed to close 37 of the 40 libraries, which gives an idea of the level of participation the daily strike could reach.

The main demands are a reduction of working hours to 35 hours per week with a more balanced rotating shift, and accession to Barcelona City Council’s new agreement, different from that of the Diputació which currently governs conditions in the sector. For its part, the Consorci says that negotiations remain open, that it is already working on the 35-hour day, and that the workforce has grown by more than 70 people in the latest period.