Thousands of municipal workers took to the streets of Oaxaca city on Tuesday to protest the government’s failure to pay their end-of-year salary supplement.
Members of five unions, among whom are administrative workers, waste collectors and transit police, demanded payment of their aguinaldo, a payment usually equivalent to an employee’s fortnightly wage. By law, it must be paid by December 20.
The workers directed their ire at Morena party Mayor Oswaldo García during a second consecutive day of protests over nonpayment of the legally required benefit.
The newspaper Reforma reported that at least 16 blockades were set up in Oaxaca city, causing traffic chaos. Protestors also blocked entrances to supermarkets.
Union leader Kathia Navarrete said that protests were necessary because dialogue had not yielded a favorable response from the municipal government, which argued that it was waiting for federal money to fulfill its obligations to employees.
One person affected by the road blockades was a bride on the way to her wedding. According to a social media post, the woman had to get out of the vehicle in which she was traveling and proceed on foot to reach her wedding on time.
A photograph showed the bride crossing a street near the Oaxaca Institute of Technology in the company of two other women.
“She’s on her way! Hold on a little bit, father!” said one Twitter user who shared the photo.
With reports from Reforma and El Universal
