“Dignified wages are not concessions: they are constitutional rights” – Striking Cultural Workers Respond to Mexico’s Cultural Secretariat

ByJay Watts

Mexico’s Culture Secretariat commented on the occupation of its headquarters yesterday, by workers of the National Union of Cultural Workers (SINAC) who have worked illegally for over two years with wages below Mexico’s national minimum wage and are demanding an immediate 13% increase. The Culture Secretariat, headed by Claudia Curiel de Icaza, said in a statement released on its Twitter/X account that it had attempted to establish a dialogue with the leadership of the National Union of Culture Workers (SINAC) since March 1st, without receiving a response and urged the union to prioritize dialogue, warning that the office closure affect administrative processes, programs and suppliers.

Today, SINAC released its response, saying “the Coalition of Trade Unions of the Secretariat of Culture we do not abandon the dialogue. What we have faced is the lack of real solutions. For months we have been presented with administrative measures that, in fact, have not resolved the wage abolition that today affects 100% of the staff under section B. The proposed proposals have not corrected the loss of purchasing power nor guaranteed full compliance with the constitutional minimum wage.”

“The current situation is not the product of union mobilization; it is the consequence of the omission and lack of budget foresight of the administration itself. The responsibility to ensure that no worker earns below minimum wage rests on the authority, not on those we demand to enforce the law.”

“It is worrying that the solution is now intended to be subjected to a broader process or to statements by the President of the Republic. The Secretariat of Culture forms part of the Federal Government and has direct assignments and responsibility over its workforce. You can’t transfer or dilute that responsibility.”

“We reiterate that we have always privileged institutional dialogue. However, the dialogue must translate into concrete results and clear time frames. The working base can’t wait indefinitely while their pay continues to be below the legal minimum.”

“The Coalition of Trade Unions maintains its readiness to build an immediate, viable and lawful exit. But that exit must be made promptly and with a formal commitment to compliance. Wage dignity is not a concession; it’s a constitutional right.”