IMSS-Bienestar workers block roads in Mexico State demanding wages, benefits

Healthcare personnel from various IMSS-Bienestar units in the eastern municipalities of the State of Mexico, including Ecatepec, Acolman, Teotihuacán, Los Reyes La Paz, Chalco, and Nezahualcóyotl, are staging protests and blocking roads. The demonstrations began this morning as workers demand the payment of their current bi-weekly wages, outstanding previous salaries, and additional labor benefits such as basic food basket and health bonuses. They also highlighted a shortage of essential medical supplies.

These actions are part of broader mobilizations that started Monday, when staff warned of a more extensive work stoppage if funds were not released. According to union representatives from Section 9 of the National Health Workers' Union, the payment delays affect approximately 9,000 workers in the state. Beyond salary issues, the workers also denounce a scarcity of materials like syringes, gowns, dressing kits, and stationery, which they say limits patient care in hospitals and health centers.

In Chalco, protesters have occupied the dedicated bus lane of the Santa Martha-Chalco trolleybus line in the town center, disrupting service and causing delays for public transport users. In other areas, the road closures are leading to traffic congestion for both private vehicle drivers and public transport passengers. Around 100 workers from the Materno Infantil Hospital in Los Reyes La Paz are blocking the Mexico-Texcoco highway, reporting that they have not received salaries since August 1st, nor the corresponding bonuses.

In Nezahualcóyotl, personnel from the General Hospital Gustavo Baz Prada have closed sections of Bordo de Xochiaca and Adolfo López Mateos avenues heading towards Mexico City, impacting over 300 employees at that facility. In Ecatepec, gatherings are concentrated at key points along Vía Morelos and Central Avenue, near Las Américas and Metro Ecatepec, affecting vehicular traffic and services like the Mexibús. Protests are also extending to hospitals, health centers, and sanitary jurisdictions in Acolman, Teotihuacán, and surrounding municipalities.

Personnel indicate that these payment delays have been recurring since the transfer of state services to the IMSS-Bienestar system, which was formalized in 2023. They also contend that the lack of supplies compromises the daily operations of their facilities. The dissatisfied workers are awaiting a response from authorities to their demands.