Mexican Teachers Plan Protests During World Cup Over Pay

Mexican public school teachers, organized under the Nation Educ Worker Union, are planning mass protests coinciding with the World Cup, which begins on June 11, if their salary demands are not fulfilled. Approximately 3,000 union members marched in Mexico City, where they confronted police to reach the education ministry.

The teachers are demanding a 100% increase in their monthly gross wages, which currently equates to about $967. The union leadership has agreed to a 9% raise, but a dissenting faction within the union is pushing for the full increase.

Filiberto Fraustro Orozco, a teacher from Zacatecas, stated that if their demands are not met, they will escalate their protests, which have previously included shutting down parts of Mexico City and blocking access to the international airport. The protests are expected to coincide with the arrival of around five million tourists for the World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States and Canada.