Minimum services for the school cleaning holiday in Santiago

The Department of Education, Science, Universities and Vocational Training issued an order, dated September 11, 2026, determining the minimum services in educational centers during the strike at the company Lacera Servicios y Mantenimiento, S.A., called from September 14 to September 25. The regulation, published in the Official Gazette of Galicia number 174 of September 14, 2026 (p. 48709), enters into force on the day of its publication.

The strike was communicated by the trade union organization CIG for September 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25, and affects the company’s personnel in the cleaning and janitorial contracts of the early childhood and primary education centers (CEIP) of the municipality of Santiago de Compostela.

Legal framework and justification

The order reconciles the constitutional right to strike (Article 28.2 of the Spanish Constitution) with the maintenance of essential services, among which education is included. It is based on Article 10.2 of Royal Decree-Law 17/1977, of March 4, and Decree 155/1988, of June 9, on the provision of essential services in the event of a strike, which empowers the competent regional ministers to determine the minimum necessary activity.

The Administration emphasizes that the essential service is not limited to teaching: it includes the surveillance and care of minors, as well as the maintenance of the facilities. It cites the special protection of minors under Article 39 of the Constitution, Law 4/2011, of June 30, on coexistence and participation of the educational community, and the right to health under Article 43, along with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Minimum cleaning and janitorial services

For cleaning personnel, the minimum services include:

• Cleaning of bathrooms and toilets on alternate days and removal of organic waste.
• Cleaning of dining halls on alternate days, if this activity is performed by the personnel affected by the strike.
• Once a week, sweeping and mopping of classrooms and furniture (tables and chairs), as well as the cleaning of common areas.

These tasks will be carried out by 30% of the personnel assigned to each center (with a minimum of one person), during the minimum essential time and without in any case exceeding the usual daily working day.

For janitorial personnel, the presence of a janitor or orderly is established throughout the period in which the educational center is open for teaching activities, in order to guarantee the control of entry and exit and the custody of minors.

Designation of personnel

The nominal designation of the personnel who must cover the minimum services will correspond to the managers of the company Lacera Servicios y Mantenimiento, S.A., who will notify the designated personnel and publish it on the notice board of the affected educational centers. The order was signed by the regional minister Román Rodríguez González.

The strike directly affects thousands of families and students of the CEIPs (public primary schools) of Santiago de Compostela, who will see cleaning and the presence of janitorial staff reduced for almost two school weeks. The establishment of minimum services guarantees, according to the Xunta, the safety and hygiene of the minors and the facilities, so that the strike cannot leave the essential services of the educational centers unattended.

Source: Official Gazette of Galicia, no. 174, September 14, 2026, section III (Other provisions), p. 48709 (official reference: CVE-DOG 9wttoho7-j4m9-cbz4-vby6-otgiyijghyy8).