Mexican public school teachers rallied on Friday to demand a hefty pay rise, threatening mass protests at the start of the football World Cup on June 11 if their demands aren't met. The teachers aren't happy with the government's proposed nine per cent raise, with a dissident wing of the union calling for a 100 per cent raise.

The monthly starting gross wage for Mexican public school teachers is the equivalent of US$967. This amount is relatively low, considering the cost of living in Mexico. Filiberto Fraustro Orozco, a protesting teacher from the northern state of Zacatecas, told AFP that union members have agreed to stage intense protests during the World Cup.

"Education isn’t a priority, but the million-dollar business of the World Cup is," one banner held by a protester read.

Past industrial action by teachers has managed to shut down much of Mexico City for days at a time. They've done this by blocking key roads, including access to the international airport. Mexico expects around five million tourists to arrive for the World Cup that will be jointly hosted with the United States and Canada.

The National Education Workers union has a history of organizing protests and strikes to push for better working conditions and higher pay for teachers. The union's leadership is divided on the issue of salary increases. Some members are pushing for more radical action.

The Mexican government is facing pressure to improve the education system, which has been criticized for being underfunded and inefficient. The government's proposal for a nine per cent raise has been seen as insufficient by many teachers. They argue that it doesn't keep pace with inflation and the rising cost of living.

The World Cup is set to kick off on June 11. The teachers' protests could potentially disrupt the tournament. The Mexican government won't be able to ignore this dispute. They'll need to find a way to resolve it with the teachers' union in order to avoid any disruptions to the tournament.

  • The monthly starting gross wage for Mexican public school teachers is the equivalent of US$967.
  • The government and official leadership of the teachers’ union have agreed to a nine per cent raise.
  • A dissident wing of the union is calling for a 100 per cent raise.
  • Around 3,000 members of the National Education Workers union marched in Mexico City on Friday.
  • Mexico expects around five million tourists to arrive for the World Cup.