Mexico's SNTE union seeks 2 billion pesos from government over education funding

The federal government’s recent concessions to the Coordinadora Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación (CNTE) triggered a domino effect in the teaching sector. After protests, CNTE secured an 800 million‑peso allocation for teachers in Oaxaca and obtained promises to regularise posts and review bonuses and basification for educators in other states.

The Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación (SNTE), the official union representing more than one million teachers—including CNTE members—has now demanded that the government cover roughly 2 billion pesos in outstanding obligations and repeal the 2007 ISSSTE law that shifted teachers’ pension schemes to individual accounts. In its statement, SNTE rejected blockades and strikes as pressure tactics, emphasizing its role as the legitimate, legal voice of teachers nationwide. The union highlighted recent gains such as raising the average monthly salary from 11,900 pesos in 2018 to 20,350 pesos in 2026 and basifying over 1.2 million education workers since 2019, arguing these steps secure a dignified retirement for educators.