Mexico's SNTE and ISSSTE reach pact to add 500 teacher health clinics and discuss pension reforms

The National Teachers' Union (SNTE) and the Institute of Security and Social Services of State Workers (ISSSTE) signed an agreement to expand ISSSTE's network of health clinics for educators. In a meeting led by SNTE secretary‑general Alfonso Cepeda Salas and ISSSTE director Marti Batres Guadarrama, the parties committed to using available spaces in union buildings to help meet the goal of opening 500 new consultorios across public facilities. They also set a schedule of joint meetings in each state over the next 100 days to review the health plan and incorporate teachers' specific needs, such as shortages of doctors, long wait times, and lack of medication.

The discussion included a proposal, backed by actuarial studies, to amend the 2007 ISSSTE law to improve pension and retirement benefits for public‑sector teachers. While the agreement marks progress on health infrastructure, teachers in Tamaulipas continue to report acute medication shortages and difficulties accessing specialist care, underscoring persistent challenges that the SNTE aims to address through its broader advocacy.