Dozens of employees of the state’s Public Health Department held a protest Thursday morning after authorities notified union leaders their salaries would not get paid due to lack of funds.
Secretary General of the Local 42 of the National Union of Health Workers Virginia Noriega said authorities told her about the issue.
“It’s over 70 million pesos that we badly need,” she said. “It is time that authorities make the payment and (however) they have not addressed the issue.”
The workers met Thursday at 8 a.m. at Mexicali’s General Hospital to demonstrate against the lack of payment.
“The money was already deposited by the federal government,” Noriega said. “Now (state officials) must tell us what they did with our money given it must not be used to purposes other than salary payment.”
Employees with the state Department of Public Health got their salaries paid Thursday after a protest held at Mexicali’s Civic Center the day before, an official said.
Secretary of Planning and Finances Antonio Valladolid said 8,140 workers received globally 75 million pesos or $3.75 million.
The employees got their December salary payment, he said.
Valladolid said the salaries are paid for with state and federal funds.
“Health services programs have been cut several times, but coverage and quality of service has not been suspended,” the secretary said. “With this payment we are closing the budget year as scheduled.”
Valladolid said the agency’s 3.7 billion pesos or $185 million budget covers programs similar to California’s Medi-Cal, known here as Seguro Popular, as well as services at five general hospitals, 124 health centers, six primary service centers, three specialized attention units and a laboratory.
