The strike at Nacional Monte de Piedad reached its six-month anniversary this April, leaving more than 300 branches across Mexico shuttered since October 1, 2025. Approximately 2,000 employees initiated the stoppage, alleging widespread violations of their collective bargaining agreement.
While the standoff has paralyzed the historic lending institution, it remains far from the longest labor dispute in Mexican history. A federal judge declared the strike legally nonexistent in February 2026, citing a failure by the union to meet specific procedural requirements. The union has since challenged that ruling, and the matter is currently pending before a Collegiate Tribunal.
A history of prolonged labor disputes
Mexico’s labor history contains several instances of conflicts that lasted years rather than months. The longest strike in the country’s contemporary era occurred at the Cananea mine in Sonora, where members of the mining union faced off against Grupo México for 18 years. That dispute finally concluded in December 2025 with a settlement providing restitution for workers and environmental remediation for the region.
Other notable labor battles reshaped their respective industries. The workers of Refrescos Pascual launched a strike in 1982 following a dispute over wages and profit sharing. After three years of conflict and a violent attempt to break the picket line, the workers successfully took control of the facilities, establishing a worker-owned cooperative that continues to operate today.
In the public sector, the state news agency Notimex ceased operations entirely following a strike that lasted 1,408 days from 2020 to 2023. The conflict pitted union members against the agency’s management and ultimately led to the dissolution of the entity.
Academic institutions have also faced significant disruptions. The Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM) endured a 92-day strike in 2019 over salary demands. Before that, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) experienced its longest stoppage in 1999, when students occupied the campus for 293 days to protest proposed tuition hikes. That standoff ended only after federal police intervened to regain control of the university grounds.
For Nacional Monte de Piedad, the path forward remains tied to the judiciary. If the Collegiate Tribunal confirms the lower court’s ruling, the institution could move to reopen. If the judges reverse the decision, the union and the company must return to the bargaining table to address the outstanding contract disputes.
