Mexico's largest teachers' union on Friday rejected a government-proposed pay raise, calling it far below its demands, and threatened a massive protest in the capital on the opening day of the World Cup. About 3,000 members of the National Union of Education Workers (SNTE) protested in Mexico City demanding a 100% pay raise.
The government has proposed a 9% increase. "We demand that our demands be met," Fraustro Orozco, a teacher from Zacatecas state, told AFP. "There is a desire, with the start of the World Cup, to organize one of the most dynamic and effective protests in history," he warned.
As part of the protest, teachers blocked access to Mexico City's international airport. Mexico is expecting about 5 million tourists for the World Cup, which it is co-hosting with the United States and Canada. The tournament will begin on June 11 at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
