Unions have announced an ongoing strike at ITV stations in the Valencian Community, effective from October 2, after talks with the public company Sitval failed to produce an agreement in mediation at the Arbitration Court this week. Management has expressed concerns about the legality of terms reached by workers and their representatives with the previous regional government, complicating the path to a settlement.
As part of the ITV restructuring overseen by Botànic, workers agreed to a salary equalization plan. Roughly 1,500 staff across several stations are set to earn equivalent wages. The rollout is planned in stages, beginning with the lowest earners. About 300 employees—predominantly from Alicante province and specifically stationed in Orihuela, Torrevieja, Pilar de la Horadada, Benidorm, and the city of Alicante itself—will be affected first.
The plan had been scheduled for implementation in June but was delayed, prompting the announcement of an indefinite strike starting on October 2. Amid these tensions, regional leadership recently shifted, and Sitval’s board was refreshed with Javier López Mora appointed as general manager. The new leadership appears to view the move as a mechanism to curb the ongoing labor dispute.
Nevertheless, discussions continued without concrete progress at the Wednesday mediation session. Sitval’s current leader Josep Albert Quilis attended the meeting, as did representatives from the CC OO, UGT, Intersindical Valenciana, and CSIF unions. As CC OO representative Pepe Cloquell explained, the unions were asked to wait a month to reassess, but they believe there has already been ample time to honor the agreed terms. They also noted that requests for follow-up meetings had received little response over recent months.
Cloquell added that about 1.2 million people are expected to be involved in the salary review process and stressed that the delay is hard to justify. He asserted that the terms should be honored as agreed and that any postponements undermine confidence in the process.
From the company’s side, new managers offered a different perspective. They indicated they were unaware that a conciliation action was planned on Wednesday and expressed doubts about the legality of the salary agreement.
Nuria Montes engages unions to avoid ITV strike disruption
Nuría Montes, Minister of Innovation, Industry, Trade and Tourism and the current president of Sitval, voiced surprise at the company’s predicament. She noted that union board members approved a one-month review period, followed by a decision to strike shortly after. Montes also cited testimony from a manager at Sitval that questioned the validity of the employment contracts due to missing reports and budget allocations. She emphasized a need for accountability and for correct procedures from the outset to prevent legal and operational complications.