**Retired Bureaucrats and Teachers Stand Against ISSSTECALI Law Reform**
A group of retired bureaucrats and teachers staged a protest outside the Executive Building in Baja California on October 21, 2024. They oppose the proposed reforms to the ISSSTECALI (the State Institute of Social Security and Services for Government Workers) law, announced by Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda, fearing they would diminish certain workers’ rights.
Gathering at the steps of the Legislative Power, the retirees voiced their dissent against potential changes that might alter their labor rights using banners and signs. Among the movement’s spokespersons were former union leader Victoria Bentley Duarte and the teachers’ representative, Adalberto Gutiérrez Ruiz, who criticized the notion that workers are blamed for financial mismanagement and neglect by authorities, such as forgiving substantial debts that have significantly weakened ISSSTECALI’s financial health.
The retirees are open to discussions and willing to contribute more, provided an external audit is conducted to clarify the allocation of funds within the parastatal organization. Bentley Duarte announced plans to introduce a citizen-led reform to the ISSSTECALI law to prevent public entities from having their debts forgiven. She cited the government of Ensenada, which owed over a billion pesos, as an example, pointing out the dire need for reform.
They also questioned current union leaders for failing to openly confront the reform or update the workers on its implications. Bentley Duarte revealed they have gathered around 800 tangible signatures and aim to collect more to urge Congress to open dialogues for public inputs regarding the proposed changes.
Joined by lawyer Guillermo Rivera, the group presented the proposed reform, demanding transparency concerning the payment of technical reserves, the situation of retirees, and questioning the need for ISSSTECALI to pay 300 million pesos to a firm for payroll processing, which should be a governmental task. They also called for refinancing the parastatal’s billion-peso debts.
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These developments reflect ongoing concerns in the region, highlighting both social issues like labor rights and public safety, as well as cultural achievements.