MEXICO: Indefinite Teachers’ Strike Declared in 5,000 Schools

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Eduardo Molina y Vedia

MEXICO CITY, Jun 11 1997 (IPS) - A partial but well-supported indefinite teachers’ strike was launched here Wednesday, calling for better working conditions defending the right to free, public, non-religious education.

The movement is led by the National Co-ordination of Education Workers (CNTE) – the opposition faction within the ruling party union – one of the largest in the Spanish speaking world with 1.2 million members.

Two million children in the capital were affected by the conflict, with action reaching pre-school, primary and special education facilities.

While the authorities estimated more than 5,000 teachers stayed away from work today, movement leaders claimed the number was closer to 12,000.

Government education officials said some groups of teachers formed “picket lines” to forcefully prevent other teaching staff from going to work, although this was denied by union leaders.

Gonzalo Martinez Villagran, spokesman of the strike committee, blamed the education authorities for the consequences of the strike, stressing that “this will be kept up until the teachers claims are answered.”

The teachers are asking for a 100 percent salary increase on an income which has lost two thirds of its buying power over the last 15 years, and today represents barely 250 dollars per month.

The strikers were also asking for reinforcement of the funds destined to providing a better service to the community and the repayment of the days of pay deducted during the national strike last May.

The Education Ministry censured the forceful measure, saying it had sent the movement a counterproposal which had failed to persuade the teachers to return to work.

Meanwhile, the National Parents Association, a Catholic group linked to the private schools, asked the teachers to reconsider their position “in order to maintain the image they have in society.”

Their press release called on parents to take their children to school as usual “in the belief that most schools will be functioning normally.”

Meanwhile, the university unions, dissident factions of the National Education Workers Union (SNTE) and members of the Trilateral Commission in Defence of Public Education supported the strike.

In a joint manifesto, they complained the salaries and working conditions were “abysmal,” that there were too few schools, and that the high fees demanded by the private competitors were excessive.

Recent studies carried out by Mexican teaching experts showed the number of children aged over six years old receiving no schooling rose from 7.1 million in 1980 to 9.5 million in 1990.

Official figures indicate only 57 percent of children finish primary school, 12 percent complete secondary, and barely 4 percent go on to university level.

While the protest is underway in the capital, similar demonstrations are taking part in several other Mexican states like Oaxaca, Guerrero, Chiapas, Michoacan, Tlaxcala, Yucatan, Durango and Coahuila.

They are all calling for pay to be doubled and for improvements in the social security services and the public education budgets, as well as free text books, breakfasts and an increase in grants for students.

The union claims also include social claims like the withdrawal of the army from areas suffering from guerrilla outbreaks, the freeing of political prisoners and an end to the issuing of warrants against opposition activists.