IMSS Workers Plan National Protest Over Wages and Union Leadership

Workers from the Mexican Social Security Institute have scheduled a major national protest for Monday, November 9, in Mexico City, starting at 3:00 p.m. local time. The demonstrators plan to march from the Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI to the Zócalo, with additional stops including the Senate to press for responses regarding labor demands and institutional accountability.

The mobilization comes in direct rejection of an overall 8 percent salary increase announced on October 21 by IMSS Director General Zoé Robledo. The proposed package splits the adjustment into a 4 percent increase to tabular wages and another 4 percent for housing rental assistance. However, protesting employees are demanding a direct 10 percent raise to their base salaries.

Beyond wage concerns, the participants are calling for the removal of Rafael Olivos Hernández, the general secretary of the National Executive Committee of the National Union of Workers of the Social Security System. Demonstrators accuse him of internal statute violations and labor legislation infractions. Furthermore, union members are demanding formal investigations, an audit of guild resources by the Supervisory Commission, and an end to alleged intimidation and union harassment.

During their recent Second National Assembly, active and retired workers from various states, including Puebla, Nuevo León, and Mexico City, agreed to pursue immediate legal actions and formal complaints before the anti-corruption secretariat. They also urged unity among organizational groups and announced plans to maintain camp facilities at the union headquarters alongside ongoing informational briefings.

Traffic authorities in Mexico City have warned motorists to anticipate significant delays and closures along key central thoroughfares, such as Avenida Cuauhtémoc, Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas, and 5 de Mayo, depending on the progression of the marchers and police traffic operations.

In separate developments concerning the institute's operations, the IMSS recently highlighted its technological advancements in radiology, noting the implementation of artificial intelligence and advanced imaging equipment that raised diagnostic productivity significantly across its medical units during the previous year.

Meanwhile, in Zacatecas, the IMSS has launched a bidding process to renew contracts for outsourced daycare centers, with a final decision expected in 2027. This contracting process has drawn concern from service providers who warn that proposed budget increases are insufficient and could potentially threaten the continued operation of numerous childcare facilities nationwide.