Hundreds of workers of Mexico’s public health care system marched through the capital Tuesday to demand higher wages, better working conditions, and more staff and medical supplies at hospitals.
The demonstration by employees and retirees of the Mexican Social Security Institute, known as IMSS, also called for the resignation of union leader Rafael Olivos Hernández, whom protesters accuse of failing to represent their interests.
Some demonstrators demanded the restoration of a previous pension system and the elimination of individual retirement savings accounts.
The march came a day before a union vote on a proposed 6.8% pay increase. The package includes a 2.9% increase in base wages and a 3.9% increase in housing assistance. Dissident workers say the direct wage increase is insufficient.
The protest is part of a wave of demonstrations that began Oct. 8 and spread to several Mexican states, including Campeche, Oaxaca and Querétaro. Workers have also staged sit-ins and traffic blockades near the institute’s headquarters on Paseo de la Reforma.
The dispute reflects broader concerns about staffing shortages, medicine supplies, and working conditions at clinics and hospitals serving millions of people. Workers say shortages make it harder to provide timely medical care.
(Source: Agencies)
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