MEXICO · POLITICS
Key Facts
- The country Mexico is a top US trading partner, and its courts are being rebuilt.
- What happened Federal court workers began a national strike on Friday 6 November 2026 against new job-performance reviews.
- The trigger A new agreement published on Thursday 5 November scores judicial staff from 0 to 100.
- The fear Workers say low scores could be used to dismiss them.
- What is next The union says the judiciary’s administrators agreed to two meetings on the reviews.
- Power Index Mexico ranks 2nd of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 70.8 points (November 2026 edition).
Workers of Mexico’s federal judiciary began a national strike on Friday 6 November 2026, only a day after new rules for judging their job performance were published. At the federal judiciary’s San Lázaro complex in Mexico City, strikers blocked the entrance in the early hours.
For US readers, the strike matters because Mexican federal courts also hear cases that involve American companies, from contract fights to investment disputes. Strikes and staff anxiety can slow that paperwork, even when judges themselves keep working.
What Happened
According to the workers at San Lázaro, the strike started in the early hours of Friday and was backed by their union. Their spokeswoman said they will return only if the new agreement is annulled.
Jesús Gilberto González Pimentel, secretary general of the federal judiciary workers’ union, said the union supports the stoppage. He said Néstor Vargas Solano, head of the Judicial Administration Body that runs the federal courts’ internal affairs, had agreed to two meetings before the reviews begin to examine and correct anything that harms workers’ rights.
What the New Rules Say
Workers say the rulebook was published in the Official Gazette (the Diario Oficial de la Federación, where Mexican federal rules are made law) on Thursday 5 November 2026. They describe it as a general agreement of the Judicial Administration Body, the office that runs budgets, staffing and the judicial career for the federal judiciary.
The agreement sets scores from 0 to 100, and reports say a score of 59 or below allows one extraordinary exam, with dismissal after a fail or a no-show. The administrative body says the first evaluation, in December, is diagnostic and will not affect tenure.
Why Workers Are Alarmed
Employees at the site said they fear the reviews are a way to remove more staff after Mexico’s judicial overhaul. They say a low score could cost them their seniority and job security.
One worker said she accepts being evaluated as long as the aim is to improve the institution, “not to punish or fire us”. The judicial reform and its effects on courts have been a running story, as in our report on the courts’ request to change two judicial laws.
In Plain English
The Judicial Administration Body is a new office created by Mexico’s judicial reform to run the federal courts’ internal affairs. Career judicial staff are the clerks, secretaries and officials who work in courts without being judges.
What It Means for You
If you or your company have a case in a Mexican federal court, ask your Mexican lawyer whether hearing dates or filing deadlines are affected, because a strike can delay clerical work. Foreign investors should also watch whether the reviews lead to many dismissals, since staff turnover can slow courts for months.
Travellers and ordinary visitors are not affected, because the strike concerns court workers and not public transport or border services. The wider question for markets is whether the rebuilt judiciary can handle contract and investment disputes smoothly.
What Is Not Known
Reports on 6 November said stoppages reached at least 16 states and several Mexico City buildings. How long the strike will last is not known.
Workers say the agreement itself sets consequences, while the administrators call the first round diagnostic. It is unclear whether the administrative body will change the agreement.
More: Mexico news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Are Mexico’s Federal Court Workers on Strike?
They object to new performance reviews that score judicial staff from 0 to 100. Workers say the reviews could be used to dismiss them.
When Did the Strike Start?
It began in the early hours of Friday 6 November 2026, a day after the rules were published in the Official Gazette, according to the workers. The union says it backs the stoppage.
Does the Strike Close Mexico’s Courts?
Reports on 6 November said stoppages reached at least 16 states. It is not known how many courts are fully closed.
Who Runs Mexico’s Federal Court Administration?
The Judicial Administration Body, created by the judicial reform, handles budgets, staffing and the judicial career. Its president is Néstor Vargas Solano.
Sources: Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF), general agreement of the Judicial Administration Body on judicial staff performance, 5 November 2026, as described by workers; statement of the federal judiciary workers’ union, 6 November 2026; accounts of striking workers at the San Lázaro building, Mexico City, 6 November 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief