Staggered salary increase will benefit teachers with less income: SEP

Alonso Urrutia

Newspaper La Jornada
Monday, May 16, 2022, p. 3

The head of the Ministry of Public Education (SEP), Delfina Gómez, advanced the announcement that the Ministry of Finance will formalize today. With the presence of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, she anticipated that, On average, workers with incomes of less than 20,000 pesos per month will see an increase of approximately 7.5 percent.. It will be a staggered increase of three, two and one percent for those salaries less than 20 thousand pesos, benefiting with the highest percentage those who receive the least, for an approximate income of 14 thousand 300 pesos.

Teaching celebration under the sign of the workshop. Surrounded by the leadership of the National Union of Education Workers (SNTE) headed by Alfonso Cepeda, its current leader, López Obrador paid tribute to the National Coordinator of Education Workers (CNTE) at the official ceremony: We must recognize them that, in the most difficult moments, when neoliberalism was at its height, wanting to privatize education, they were in the streets fighting and protesting.

Silence among the diners.

In his historical review of those who have left their mark on the history of education in Mexico, he mentioned José Vasconcelos, Jaime Torres Bodet, Ignacio Manuel Altamirano, but also made a reminder for those who combined their careers as mentors with their revolutionary struggle. Here we also acknowledge Master Lucio Cabañas and Master Othón Salazarnarrowed down

It was the space to vindicate his vision of a humanistic education, which leaves behind the neoliberal policies in the sector. We want a training oriented to humanism. Let nothing human be strange to us; that, in all books, even if they are natural sciences, there is a common core dedicated to humanism. That we first train ourselves as good human beings, and then as good scientists, eminences, but that we do not abandon our humanism. We don’t want inventors of atomic bombs, no. We want creators of fraternity.

Anticipated succession times that affected the logistic assignment and left the cabinet and guests. In the presidium, the security cabinet shared with López Obrador and Gómez the place of honor; the head of government, Claudia Sheinbaum; Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard and the Secretary of the Interior, Adán Augusto López.

In the distribution of some twenty tables, with union delegates from the teaching profession and other diners, the Secretaries of Labor, Finance, Public Administration and Welfare, among others, were seated among the first places.

Gómez advanced the formal announcement that the Treasury will detail today: “The federal government will invest approximately 25 million pesos – as he said – to strengthen teachers’ salaries.” He highlighted the new policy towards the teaching profession in response to the demands of the SNTE and the CNTE, since the increase “is the product of a great effort made by the government, of a process of austerity and savings (…) for many it may be little, for many it can be a lot (…) We know that it means a lot of resources, that they had to make some cuts”.

The leader of the SNTE focused his speech in accordance with the times, set aside the history of the teachers’ union and expressed his support for López Obrador’s project so that education is the basis of the Fourth Transformation of the country, that it has deep roots and is irreversible.

He decried the neoliberal reform of Calderonism that imposed an individualized retirement system on teachers, asked to reverse it and demanded to put an end to the cap on teacher pensions of 10 UMA (unit of measurement and updating), while for those who are listed in the IMSS it is 25 , suggesting a gradual annual pairing.

The President acknowledged receipt and in a gesture towards the SNTE he summarized in educational terms, I take it homework, that instead of being individual they are like before and do not put themselves at risk under any circumstances. And about the UMAs.

All this so that, after claiming the role of the CNTE, to make a previously unthinkable suggestion: We have to seek reconciliation and unity, and the best method to unite is the democratic method.