The CNTE rejects Sheinbaum's measure and demands that she repeal the 2007 ISSSTE Law.

Laura Poy and Alexia Villaseñor

La Jornada Newspaper, Tuesday, June 24, 2025, p. 5

In view of the imminent publication of two presidential decrees: one to freeze the retirement age and another to implement a new model for changing workplaces for teachers, leaders of the National Coordinator of Education Workers (CNTE) reiterated that patching up will not solve the problems generated by the Usicamm (General Law of the Unity of the System for the Career of Teachers) and the failure to repeal the ISSSTE Law of 2007 .

In separate interviews, they recalled that the measure to freeze the retirement age only benefits educators who are covered by the tenth transitory article of the current ISSSTE Law, but not the 85 percent of active teachers who are already on individualized accounts, who will not receive any benefits from this decree .

Pedro Hernández, general secretary of section 9 of Mexico City, highlighted that it is striking that the Ministry of Public Education states that more than half of teachers agree that school changes should be based on seniority, which would leave out many who do not have many years of service, but who have been requesting for years a change of workplace that would bring them closer to their homes .

He indicated that in the case of the country's capital, where many teachers work morning and afternoon shifts, another problem is faced, which is that they work in Iztapalapa, but their second school is in Milpa Alta, and that also has an impact, which generates new demands for changes in staff .

Regarding the decree that freezes the retirement age, to reduce it every three years until reaching 53 for female teachers and 55 for male teachers in 2034, Isael González Vázquez, general secretary of section 7 of Chiapas, points out that both decrees, which are expected to be published today in the Official Gazette of the Federation, ratify what was presented to us at the dialogue tables at the Ministry of the Interior, and which we declare null, because it does not resolve our demand for the repeal of the 2007 ISSSTE Law, among other issues .

The federal government, he asserted, was waiting for us to accept this proposal so that the decrees would appear as part of its response to the teachers' movement, and we don't see it that way, because it doesn't help. The CNTE is waiting for a constitutional amendment, not a presidential decree .

Meanwhile, Section 22 of Oaxaca reiterated that the conditions of injustice and precariousness continue for the majority of teachers , as those with individualized accounts must work until age 60 to be eligible for retirement and have at least 25 years of contributions. Furthermore, they must wait until age 65 to access the Pension Fund for Well-being program.

The leaders emphasized that no decree provides a fundamental solution to either the problems created by the USICAMM Law or the demand for a fair and dignified pension; freezing the retirement age is not the answer .

Andrea Becerril

La Jornada Newspaper, Tuesday, June 24, 2025, p. 5

The leader of the National Union of Education Workers (SNTE), Alfonso Cepeda Salas, demanded that the reform to eliminate the Teachers' Career Unit (Usicamm) be presented no later than the next regular session in September.

President Claudia Sheinbaum has told us that it doesn't matter how long it takes, but we are ready and want it to happen as soon as possible , the Morena senator also emphasized.

He said they even have the survey, in which the vast majority of teachers agree. He also announced that the damage caused to the union headquarters by members of the National Coordinator of Education Workers (CNTE) has been estimated at nearly 35 million pesos, and that this damage will be covered by discounts for Section 22 of Oaxaca, whose members he identified as the ones who started the fire at the building on Venezuela Street.

There were irreparable losses, especially in the union's historical archive , but the dissident teachers from Guerrero did not participate, he said.

Regarding the President's statements yesterday that a school-by-school consultation will be conducted regarding the Usicamm, Cepeda Salas responded that the SNTE already conducted a survey with 657,000 teachers, and we know exactly what they want .

The widespread demand, he noted, is for the dissolution of the USICAMM and for the results of the admissions exams for graduates of normal schools to be respected, since in several states, local governments prioritize recommendations, nepotism, and other arbitrary criteria over professional merit.

He also referred to the recent announcements regarding the gradual reduction in the retirement age for teachers; he emphasized that the reform will require an investment of approximately 80 billion pesos, and although the federal government has the necessary resources for its implementation, it represents a considerable financial challenge, as retired workers will live longer than the original estimates for the system, which was created when life expectancy was just 54 years.

César Arellano and Daniel González

La Jornada Newspaper, Tuesday, June 24, 2025, p. 6

Reducing the work week to 40 hours is a profound transformation that requires time, so it must be done gradually. That's why we must make significant and far-reaching adjustments , said Marath Bolaños López, head of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS), yesterday.

There will be those who believe this reduction should be implemented immediately, overnight; others suggest it's not the best time to move forward with this, but let there be no doubt, it's always a good time to defend and uphold workers' rights , he said.

During the inauguration of the second forum to analyze the reform in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Bolaños noted that the fundamental purpose of these meetings is to collaboratively define a set of premises that will serve as the basis for gradual implementation .

"The Ministry of Labor has always been an open space for dialogue, encounter, and listening, and the impact of this reform means we reiterate that spirit.

He emphasized the various effects that reducing working hours can have, as according to the International Labor Organization, there is evidence that shortening the workday can generate increases in productivity through various mechanisms, such as less fatigue, errors, accidents, absenteeism, and work-life conflicts.

For his part, the governor of Nuevo León, Samuel García, stated: I propose that those companies that are ready, we know that there are some that are already doing so in Nuevo León, that help the State and the Federation to implement the 40-hour scheme, have tax benefits to offset the cost of, for example, no longer working on Saturdays or overtime .

He stated that major reforms and projects must be well planned, relentlessly executed, and above all, gradual. Nuevo León is Mexico's industrial city, and such a far-reaching amendment must be agreed upon by our industries, all employers, and, of course, the unions, because we undoubtedly want to provide a better life for workers, so that all workers have more time for recreation and study, and at the same time, ensure that the great economy is not distorted .

In this regard, the president of the Confederation of Industrial Chambers, Alejandro Malagón, stated that they support a labor transformation, as long as it is gradual, flexible, sustainable, realistic, and does not jeopardize employment.

Likewise, he proposed subsidies for companies to adapt to the new labor measures. Today, more than ever, Mexico's private sector is more than united and determined to build a proposal that will allow us to move toward reducing the workday in a gradual, orderly, and viable manner .

Daniel González Delgadillo

La Jornada Newspaper, Tuesday, June 24, 2025, p. 6

Dozens of litigating attorneys yesterday took their files to the Federal Board of Conciliation and Arbitration (JFCA) to avoid further delays in their cases and in the collection of payments with favorable rulings, after these proceedings were interrupted by the 19-day work stoppage at this institution, due to the unjustified dismissal of more than 180 workers.

During the resumption of activities at the JFCA, Armando Álvarez, one of the lawyers, told La Jornada that the delays prevented workers or their families from collecting amounts of up to one million pesos, even though their cases had favorable resolutions. He emphasized that this money is necessary because the clients are facing delicate situations, such as disabilities or deaths.

He also noted that several cases could remain unpaid because authorities have begun archiving them without issuing a resolution, as there is no follow-up.

▲ Senator Manlio Fabio Beltrones, during yesterday's session in the Senate, at the start of the extraordinary session in Congress, during which at least 16 initiatives are expected to be processed, including those on disappearances and telecommunications. Photo: Jorge Pablo García

La Jornada Newspaper, Tuesday, June 24, 2025, p. 6