LatinNews Daily - 16 October 2026

*Mexico’s national social security institute (IMSS) has established a working group with the national social security workers union (SNTSS) to develop a new proposal for increasing wages and improving working conditions. This comes after the SNTSS voted to reject an initial salary increase proposal on 14 October. The IMSS unveiled the proposal on 10 October for a 6.8% salary increase for workers, made up of a 2.9% increase in the fixed base salary and 3.9% in benefits. Speaking in a press conference yesterday, President Claudia Sheinbaum said the IMSS needed to “look for alternatives in order to provide a better proposal” in light of the union’s decision. IMSS workers have been protesting in recent weeks over salaries, the lack of personnel, medicine shortages, and working conditions in public hospitals.