Mexico: Teachers in Chiapas Take on State and Official Union

On May 3, the protest actions of the National Coordinator of Education Workers (CNTE) ended. These consisted of 72 hours of highway toll booth takeovers; the taking of public buildings; the closing of shopping malls; as well as the sharing of information and organizing with different social sectors; according to the plan of action framework agreed upon at the XIII Regular National Congress of the CNTE.

Teachers belonging to the Democratic State Assembly (AED) of CNTE-SNTE Section 40 in Chiapas, after taking over the Chiapas Tower for the second time, ended the days of struggle with a rally inside the buildings of the National Union of Education Workers (SNTE), where they stated that the AED “took on the commitment that belonged it; showing that its members are ready to answer the call when necessary.”

Similarly, the AED reported that with the next Sectional Rotation to change union leadership, they will send to the “trash bin of history” the pro-government teachers known as “charros” [corrupt sell-outs]. In Chiapas and in Section 40, “the charros of the SNTE will not pass,” they assured a union hall packed with dissident teachers. “The time has come to collect on the charros’ accounts,” they emphasized.

The teachers of the Democratic Assembly said that from May 1 to 3 they decided to take over the SNTE’s buildings “because it is the property of the workers.” With this, the teachers of the AED intend “to rescue the destinies of the members of Section 40,” they shared. The next Sectional Rotation “will show what we’ve done,” the educators announced, who also said that the change of union leadership will draw the attention of different state and national sectors, “because we are facing off with the National Executive Committee, the charros of the SNTE, and the state and federal governments.”

For their part, teachers from CNTE Section 7 took over the Sol, Cristal and Poliforum shopping malls. Later, at 1pm, they removed their encampment from the main plaza of Tuxtla Gutiérrez that had been in place for 72 hours. The teachers of the Democratic Block called for the restarting of negotiations with the federal government; for the repeal of the fake “educational reform” and other “structural reforms”; for the scheduling of the next Sectional Rotation without conditions; as well as for the defense of labor rights.

For this coming May 15, the CNTE has issued a national call for a “Teachers and Peoples Mobilization” and for a “National Civic Strike” on May 26, as well as for solidarity with the encampment of the mothers and fathers of the disappeared normalistas from Ayotzinapa in front of the Federal Attorney General’s Office (PGR) in Mexico City.

---