Just days before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the National Coordinator of Education Workers (CNTE) confirmed that it will hold a march and a national strike on June 1st. This mobilization aims to pressure the federal government to address a series of labor, salary, and social security demands that the dissident teachers’ union considers to have been pending for years.
Where and at what time will it take place?
The call to action was disseminated through a video on social media in which the organization used a soccer-related theme to announce the start of its day of protests.
“Kickoff, everyone get the ball rolling! June 1, 2026,” the video states, inviting people to participate in a march that will depart at 9:00 a.m. from the Angel of Independence monument and head towards the Zócalo in Mexico City.
The protest has garnered particular attention because it is taking place in the lead-up to the 2026 World Cup, a tournament that Mexico will co-host.
In the images released by the CNTE (National Coordinator of Education Workers), a soccer ball with the FIFA logo crossed out appears, accompanied by messages referencing their demands to the federal government.
The use of this symbolism has been interpreted as a way of leveraging the World Cup context to highlight a conflict that the teachers’ movement considers unresolved.
What are they demanding?
Among the union’s main demands is the repeal of the 2007 ISSSTE Law, one of the Coordinator’s long-standing demands.
The teachers maintain that this legislation significantly altered the pension system for state employees, and therefore they demand its elimination and the creation of a new system that guarantees better retirement conditions.
Another key demand is a 100 percent salary increase. The organization argues that teachers’ salaries have lost purchasing power over the years, making the raises granted so far insufficient.
It also demands the repeal of the education and labor reform, asserting that several provisions continue to infringe upon the rights of education workers.
The CNTE (National Coordinator of Education Workers) is also demanding a larger budget for the education and health sectors, arguing that both areas require more resources to improve infrastructure, services, and working conditions.
In addition, it is calling for social justice and the reinstatement of dismissed workers, a demand that has been part of the movement’s historical agenda.
Furthermore, the dissident teachers reiterated their demand to establish a direct dialogue with President Claudia Sheinbaum.
The slogan “We demand dialogue with President Claudia Sheinbaum!” appears explicitly in the materials disseminated by the organization, a message with which they seek to open a new phase of negotiations with the federal government.
With this mobilization, the Coordinating Committee seeks to place its demands back at the center of the national debate. The timing of their protests, coinciding with the lead-up to the biggest football tournament, has given the demonstration particular attention, as it could become one of the first major social protests in the country in the year that Mexico will host one of the most important sporting events on the planet.
Source: publimetro
