Thousands of teachers march in southern Mexico to demand their rights

Some 2,000 teachers from the National Coordinator of Education Workers (CNTE) took to the streets of Tuxtla Gutiérrez, in the state of Chiapas (South), to commemorate their day and reiterate their labor demands.

The teachers met this Monday morning in the vicinity of the roundabout Diana Huntressto the east of the city to carry out a peaceful march towards the zócalo.

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Thousands of teachers of the CNTE they gathered on the Boulevard Angel Albino Corzo To start the march, teachers from other educational unions joined them and together they demonstrated in favor of fair wages, pensions and other demands.

The contingent walked for more than 3 kilometers chanting slogans and carrying banners with legends such as “May 15 combative for the immediate solution of the unresolved demands by AMLO, 4T”, ” Pensioners and retirees region 5 jungle present”.

Hundreds of indigenous teachers march in commemoration of Teacher’s Day to demand improvements in the education of native peoples, in the streets of Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, Mexico, on May 15, 2023. (Photo by Carlos López / EFE)

Others said “Total abrogation of the so-called educational reform”, “No to the disappearance of indigenous education”, “We demand our pension at minimum wage”.

isael gonzalez vazquezSecretary General of Section 7 of the National Union of Education Workers (SNTE), reported that this mobilization is with the objective of demanding dialogue and solution to the demands of the educational groups from the state and federal government.

“We appeal to the political will of the Federal Government and the State so that the doors are opened and we can make the approach of the workers. They are not proposals of a particular order, they are proposals of education workers whose conquests are increasingly being taken away from us today“, said.

He added that the case of the “savings bank and benefits, there are also many economic demands and increased salary”.

The teachers rejected the modifications proposed by the president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on April 18, when he proposed an initiative that integrates the General Directorate of Indigenous, Intercultural and Bilingual Education of the Ministry of Public Education (SEP) to the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI).

Nestor Eleazar Hernandez Gomeza technical assistant for Section VII in the Altos area, told EFE that the problem with this proposal is that “we would cease to belong to the Secretary of Public Education and we would lose many of the rights that we have been fighting for”.

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He added that the fight to achieve those rights “It has cost blood, lives in the different movements that we have had, but that is why now it is up to us, those of us who are here right now, to defend that part and not allow the initiative of the federal government to pass”, said the Tzeltal teacher.

Besides, Sandra Luz Espinosaa telesecundaria teacher, told EFE that since 2013 in the six-year term of Enrique Pena Nieto (2012-2018) have demanded “respect for our labor rights and today we continue to demand the same”.

The teacher added that in addition to the pending demands, she is “the harassment that the Ministry of Education has against all workers, so whoever rules governs, we are still here because the same reforms of Peña Nieto are now being implemented by this government”.

Source: Elcomercio