Mexican Teachers' Union CNTE Marches on Reforma Avenue in Final Day of 72-Hour Strike; Demands End to Pension Fund System

Key Points

• Third and final day of the CNTE's 72-hour strike that began Wednesday, March 18
• March from the Zócalo to pension fund (Afore) offices along Paseo de la Reforma
• Protests at Metlife, Banorte, Profuturo, Inbursa, Sura, and City Banamex offices
• Core demands: repeal of the 2007 ISSSTE Law, elimination of Afores, 100% base salary increase
• Union demands reinstatement of tripartite negotiation tables with the federal government
• Traffic disruptions and Metrobús Line 7 delays reported

Members of the National Education Workers' Coordinator (CNTE) marched from the Zócalo in downtown Mexico City to various Afore pension fund offices along Paseo de la Reforma on Friday, the third and final day of a 72-hour labor strike that began last Wednesday.

The Demands

The mobilization aims to pressure the government into reinstating tripartite negotiation tables to address the union's core demands:

• Repeal of the 2007 ISSSTE Law and the 2019 Education Reform
• Return to the pension system without Afores
• Safety for school communities
• Better working conditions
• 100% increase to base salary
• End to payroll deductions for workers who participated in demonstrations
• Compliance with the non-repression agreement for teachers

Protest Locations

Protesters gathered at the offices of Afore Metlife (Reforma 265), Banorte (489), Profuturo (114), Inbursa (505), Sura (222), and City Banamex (381).

Demonstrations were expected to remain at those locations until 2:00 PM before marching from the Angel of Independence roundabout back to the Zócalo. The protests were reported as peaceful, with police managing road closures and Metrobús Line 7 experiencing delays.

Our Take

The CNTE returns to the streets with demands that, while legitimate in their concern for teachers' pensions and working conditions, clash with the country's fiscal reality. Demanding the total elimination of Afores and a 100% base salary increase without a viable financial plan reads more as political statement than negotiable proposal. The government needs to reopen dialogue, but the teachers' union must also bring concrete alternatives to the table. Meanwhile, students lose three days of class.