Monte de Piedad Strike Ends in Mexico After Nearly a Year; Branches Reopen 7 October
LABOUR · MEXICO
Key Facts
- —The country Mexico. The Nacional Monte de Piedad is a private, not-for-profit pawn institution with branches across the country, used by families who need small, fast loans against jewellery and other goods.
- —What happened On 30 September 2026 the union and management signed an end to a strike that began on 1 October 2025, at the Labour Ministry (STPS), El Universal and La Jornada reported.
- —The numbers 302 branches reopen on 7 October, according to El CEO. The ministry says more than 70 negotiating meetings were held. Clients get 45 days without interest charges.
- —What it means for you Customers with pawned goods can book an appointment online and collect or renew from 7 October. The institution says every item was kept intact in its vaults.
- —Still open The ministry’s ruling that settled the strike has not been published. Back pay, staffing and how many workers return remain unclear.
The Monte de Piedad strike in Mexico is over after nearly a year. Union and management signed the deal on Wednesday 30 September at the federal Labour Ministry.
Branches of the pawn institution will reopen on Wednesday 7 October, the institution said. For clients whose jewellery has sat locked away since last October, that is the date that matters.
How the strike ended
The Labour Ministry, known as the STPS, said more than 70 negotiating meetings took place after the strike began on 1 October 2025. It said progress was made, but differences between the two sides persisted.
In the end, the union and the institution agreed to comply with a comprehensive ruling drafted by the ministry. Both signed at its headquarters on 30 September, El Universal reported, citing an STPS statement.
The ministry had called the sides back to the table on 2 May, after earlier rounds stalled. El CEO said that by May more than 30 trilateral meetings had produced no deal.
What the two sides said
Director José Antonio Murillo Garza and union leader Arturo Zayún González announced the end together in a video for staff. La Jornada and El CEO both reported the joint announcement.
“We reopen the doors of the branches with our clients’ pledged items intact,” Murillo said, as quoted by El Financiero. Zayún spoke of a “great task” to rebuild the institution with fresh ideas.
Why the workers walked out
The union said management was breaching the collective labour contract. La Jornada reported eight alleged violations, including the sidelining of joint committees that decide promotions.
It was not the first stoppage. A previous strike ended with an agreement in March 2024, and El Financiero said the new dispute grew partly from breaches of that deal.
The conflict also reached the courts. In February 2026 a judge granted the institution an injunction and declared the strike non-existent, El CEO reported, citing the institution itself.
What changes for clients
From 7 October, clients get 45 days without interest charges, according to La Jornada and N+. Interest built up during the closure will be discounted case by case, based on each client’s history.
Customers must book an appointment online and bring an official voter ID card and their ticket number, N+ reported. Branches will open 8:30 to 17:00 on weekdays and 9:00 to 14:00 on Saturdays.
For many households the institution is a source of quick cash when banks say no. Currency swings, covered in Mexico’s Peso Breaks 18 per Dollar: What It Means for Expats and Remittances, also shape those family budgets.
What Is Not Yet Known
The text of the ministry’s ruling has not been released. Reports do not say whether striking workers will receive back pay, or in what share.
It is also unclear how many employees will return, and how fast 302 branches can clear a year of backlogged pledges. The ministry said it hopes for “lasting” cooperation from now on.
Sources: La Jornada, 30 Sep 2026; El Universal (STPS statement), 30 Sep 2026; El Financiero, 30 Sep 2026; El CEO, 1 Oct 2026; N+, 1 Oct 2026.
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