Workers at the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) who disagree with their union leadership have called a national mass march for Monday, November 9, 2026, at 3 p.m., from Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI to the Zócalo in Mexico City, according to the call reported by Proceso and Expansión Política. They demand a direct 10% pay raise, instead of the overall 8% that IMSS and the National Social Security Workers' Union (SNTSS) agreed on October 21, and the removal of the union's secretary general, Rafael Olivos Hernández.
As of Sunday morning, November 8, the march was still on: El Gráfico confirmed the same time and route, and the organizers were holding their second national assembly today at the headquarters of Section 9 of the CNTE teachers' union. This article covers what is known about the IMSS mass march, why the protests continue even though the union has signed, and how the institute responds. The dispute began with the rejection of the 6.8% raise we reported in October.
View the data as a table
| Overall raise agreed for 2026 | 8% |
| Direct raise the dissidents demand | 10% |
| Unionized workers | 475,000 |
| Jobs IMSS promised to make permanent | 10,939 |
Route and time of the IMSS mass march
The rally point is Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, in the Doctores neighborhood, at 3 p.m. According to El Gráfico, marchers will move along Avenida Cuauhtémoc, Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas and 5 de Mayo street to the Plaza de la Constitución. It is this group's fourth national march, according to Expansión Política. City authorities had not published specific road closures at the time of writing, so it is best to avoid those streets from mid-afternoon.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date | Monday, November 9, 2026 |
| Start time | 3 p.m. |
| Starting point | Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI (Doctores neighborhood) |
| Route | Av. Cuauhtémoc, Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas and 5 de Mayo |
| Destination | Zócalo (Plaza de la Constitución) |
| Organizers | Dissident unionized IMSS workers |
Source: call cited by Proceso, Expansión Política and El Gráfico. Some outlets mentioned other meeting points; the one all sources repeat is Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI.
What IMSS workers are demanding
The group ratified a seven-point list at its founding assembly on Saturday, October 31, according to Proceso. Pay is the most visible demand, but not the only one: they also want more staff and supplies, changes to the pension system and new union leadership.
| No. | Demand |
|---|---|
| 1 | Direct 10% pay raise |
| 2 | Enough materials, equipment and staff |
| 3 | Retirement and Pension Regime for all workers |
| 4 | Rejection of the Afores (private pension funds) |
| 5 | Health budget of at least 7% of GDP |
| 6 | Repeal of the so-called "gag law" in the union bylaws |
| 7 | Removal of Rafael Olivos Hernández and an Extraordinary National Congress |
Source: Proceso and Expansión Política. The "gag law" is what the dissidents call changes to the SNTSS bylaws that, they say, are used to punish dissenting staff. They also say they have gathered "thousands of signatures" to call the extraordinary congress and want to deliver them before a notary.
The 8% raise agreed by IMSS and the union
On October 21, IMSS and the SNTSS agreed on an overall 8% raise for 2026: 4% directly to base pay and 4% to item 11, the housing rent allowance, according to the union's statement. The deal came after the rank and file rejected, in an October 14 vote, an initial 6.8% offer made up of 2.9% to base pay and 3.9% to the rent allowance, according to La Razón and Cadena Política.
| Proposal | Base pay | Rent allowance | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial offer (rejected in the October 14 vote) | 2.9% | 3.9% | 6.8% |
| IMSS-SNTSS agreement of October 21 | 4% | 4% | 8% |
| Dissidents' demand | 10% | Not applicable | 10% direct |
Source: La Razón, SNTSS and Proceso. The union stressed that the raise beats the reference inflation rate of 3.45%, according to Cadena Política. IMSS director Zoé Robledo said an overall 8% raise has happened only three times in 23 years and that the offer is "financially viable," according to La Razón.
The underlying disagreement is about how it is split. The dissidents want the whole raise to go to base pay, because the pay scale is the basis for other benefits, while the agreement puts half into the rent allowance. To compare with other salaries in the sector, see how much a nurse earns in Mexico and how much a doctor earns.
How IMSS and the SNTSS respond
For the union leadership, the wage issue is settled. "With this new scenario the 2026 wage review is over, but the challenges at the institution continue," Rafael Olivos said, according to La Razón. Olivos put the number of unionized workers at 475,000 and refused to resign: he said his term runs until October 2030 and that he could only leave for a reason set out in the bylaws.
Along with the raise, IMSS announced a plan to give permanent status to 10,939 workers in nursing, medicine, laboratories, X-rays, stretcher-bearing and cleaning, extend prescriptions from 72 hours to 30 calendar days and carry out 31,700 additional surgeries on night shifts and weekends, according to La Razón. The institute also committed to an action plan on equipment, medicines and supplies, according to Cadena Política.
| IMSS announcement | Figure |
|---|---|
| Workers to be given permanent status | 10,939 |
| Additional surgeries on night shifts and weekends | 31,700 |
| New prescription validity | 30 calendar days (previously 72 hours) |
| Unionized workers, according to the SNTSS | 475,000 |
Source: La Razón, October 22, 2026.
Timeline of the IMSS protests
- Oct. 14Rank and file reject 6.8%Vote called by the union.
- Oct. 21IMSS and SNTSS agree on 8%The union closes the wage review; dissidents march that day.
- Oct. 30Third national marchTo the Interior Ministry, with delegates from eight states.
- Oct. 31Founding assemblyThey ratify seven demands and call the fourth march.
- Nov. 8Second national assemblyAt the CNTE's Section 9 headquarters.
- Nov. 9, 3 p.m.Fourth national mass marchFrom Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI to the Zócalo.
The dissidents maintain sit-ins outside IMSS headquarters and the union's national headquarters, on Zamora street in the Condesa neighborhood, and said they controlled 7 of the 37 union sections, according to La Razón. During the October 30 march, a committee with representatives from Chihuahua, Hidalgo, Baja California Sur, Tamaulipas, Aguascalientes, Coahuila, Jalisco and Durango held talks at the Interior Ministry. "We will continue our struggle," one of its members, Eduardo Vinicio Martínez, told Expansión Política.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| October 14 | Rank and file reject the 6.8% offer in a vote |
| October 21 | IMSS and SNTSS agree on 8%; march from Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI |
| October 30 | Third national march, to the Interior Ministry |
| October 31 | Founding assembly of the movement and seven-point list |
| November 8 | Second national assembly, at CNTE Section 9 |
| November 9 | Fourth national mass march, at 3 p.m. |
Source: Cadena Política, La Razón, Expansión Política and Proceso.
What could happen after the IMSS mass march
The movement has announced protests every eight or fifteen days and wants to be received by top-level officials; it had previously turned down a meeting with a committee from the President's office, according to La Razón. The call is for an afternoon march and, as of Sunday, no work stoppage at hospitals had been announced. The minimum wage that sets the floor for pay talks in the country is explained in our guide to Mexico's minimum wage.
Frequently asked questions
When is the IMSS mass march?
On Monday, November 9, 2026, leaving at 3 p.m. from Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI toward Mexico City's Zócalo.
What are IMSS workers demanding?
A direct 10% raise, more staff and supplies, pensions for all, a health budget of 7% of GDP and the removal of SNTSS leader Rafael Olivos Hernández.
How much did IMSS pay rise in 2026?
IMSS and the union agreed on an overall 8% raise: 4% to base pay and 4% to the rent allowance.
Will there be a strike at IMSS hospitals?
As of November 8, no strike had been announced. The call is for an afternoon march.
Why do the protests continue if there is already a deal?
Because the dissidents reject putting half of the raise into the rent allowance and want new union leadership.
