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Public school teachers in Mexico have threatened mass protests at the start of the 2026 football World Cup on June 11, 2026, if the government fails to increase their salaries.
Thousands of the country’s National Education Workers’ union members rallied in Mexico, but were met by a heavy police presence that blocked their access to the education ministry.
“Education isn’t a priority, but the million-dollar business of the World Cup is,” one banner held by a protester read.
According to AFP, the government and official leadership of the teachers’ union are demanding a nine percent raise, but the union is divided, with a dissident wing calling for a 100% increment.
The monthly starting gross wage for Mexican public school teachers is the equivalent of US$967.
“We demand the fulfilment of our demands,” one protesting teacher, Filiberto Fraustro Orozco, from the northern state of Zacatecas, told AFP, adding that union members have agreed to stage intense protests during the World Cup.
Past industrial action by teachers has managed to shut down much of Mexico City for days at a time by blocking key roads, including access to the international airport.
Mexico, one of the co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup, expects around five million tourists to arrive for the tournament, which will be jointly hosted with the United States and Canada.
