Cineteca Will Conduct Assessment of Staff Working Conditions

ByAlma Rosa Camacho

This article by Alma Rosa Camacho originally appeared in the February 17, 2026 edition of El Sol de México.

Dismissing Vicente Fernando Cázares, director of Administration and Finance at the National Film Archive, as requested by the group of workers demanding improvements in working conditions and salary, is not the solution, says the director of the venue, Marina Stavenhagen Vargas.

“Things are a little more complex. They may not be what they seem,” an official said in an interview with El Sol de México, three days after the peaceful protest by Colectiva Cineteca, which brings together 240 employees out of a total of 340 who work at the Xoco, Las Artes and Cineteca Chapultepec locations.

Last Saturday, around 60 workers publicly demonstrated for a living wage – their earnings are less than the minimum wage – and social security.

The demonstration was the culmination of a week of protests through social media, in which they demanded an increase in workload since the opening of the two new headquarters of the National Film Archive, which forces them to work overtime and move from one location to another.

“We’ve been working very closely with management. It’s an important issue for the staff, and we’re committed to resolving it.”

In the protest on February 14, the workers stated that they suffered workplace harassment and bullying for belonging to the “Service Providers” scheme.

Regarding this, Stavenhagen explained: “My job is primarily to see that things get resolved and to listen to the entire management community and the different areas.”

The group of employees who are considered as external collaborators and do not have the right to social security and other benefits that are only intended for workers with a direct contract, work in all areas and are responsible for the opening of rooms, candy store, restaurant, ticket office and soda fountain.

“Progress has been made. The community is more at ease. The outstanding payments have been made; it was really an administrative bottleneck that wasn’t directly within our control to resolve, but it’s been sorted out now,” said Stavenhagen.

Another complaint from employees is that they have to work even when they are sick, for example, when they have a fever and cough. Regarding this, the official stated that the issue is being investigated.

“We are working on a very precise evaluation and analysis. I am personally meeting with the Cineteca’s staff in the various departments to arrive at an accurate diagnosis of what is happening, what they need, and everything that is required.”

And she emphasized that “fortunately we have had a very active, very supportive listening from the Secretary of Culture, Claudia Curiel de Icaza, and of course from the President of the country herself, Claudia Sheinbaum .”