Following protests from numerous employees of the Federal Judicial Power (PJF) against cuts to their benefits, the Federal Judiciary Council (CJF) has announced the reversal of these contributions. Employees will see the restoration of their contributions to the Individualized Reserve Fund (FORI) and the Individualized Separation Insurance (SEGSEI), with the exclusion of employees at levels 6 and 7, including judges and magistrates.
A communication released by magistrate Juan Carlos Guzmán Rosas, the executive secretary of the CJF, stated the directive to the Executive Administration Secretariat to make the necessary budget adjustments to cover these contributions. Budget expansions are requested from this pay period onwards, aligning with discussions held with the Secretary of the Interior.
"This determination arose from the need to make greater adjustments to various budget line-items, aimed at ensuring minimal impact on the salaries and benefits of all Council employees," the release mentioned.
The CJF had previously faced challenges as budget allocations for 2025 included cuts of 17% as approved by the Chamber of Deputies. To address these reductions and continue safeguarding employee compensation and benefits, the Council considered measures to control and contain expenditures.
On January 10, the CJF approved the budget dispersion for the upcoming year, amounting to 62,025.5 million pesos. This budget was significantly diminished due to the aforementioned congressional decision. Despite these cuts, the CJF declared its commitment to preserving the salaries and benefits of all workers, adhering to the new judicial reform mandates.
Initial steps also included cutting contributions to SEGSEI and FORI, limiting the Council's share to just 2%. Consequently, the CJF sought assistance from the federal executive to request budget expansions if these resource shortcomings threatened any labor rights.
On January 9, the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJN) also approved broad adjustments to their budget, noting their oversight of significant reductions of 714.4 million pesos based on congressional actions. This cut resulted in about 13% less available funding compared to the previous fiscal year.
Chairwoman of the Court and CJF, Norma Piña Hernández, along with ministers Javier Laynez Potisek and Jorge Mario Pardo Rebolledo, met with Interior Secretary Rosa Icela Rodríguez to discuss how to address budgetary concerns, ensuring workers' rights remain protected.
Following the CJF’s reversal decision, Jesús Gilberto González, the general secretary of the Union of Federal Judicial Workers, confirmed the decision had been communicated to the unionized personnel. The judges and magistrates will see their contributions reduced from 10% to 2% on the employer’s part for plan benefits.
On the same day, the National Association of Circuit Magistrates and District Judges voiced their concerns, alleging systematic “budget strangulation” orchestrated by both Legislative and Executive branches, projecting over 13 billion pesos cuts from the PJF's budget.
The reversal decision by the CJF symbolizes potential recognition of the workers' plight and aims to allay concerns about the financial security of judicial employees. Despite these adjustments, the relationship between the judicial system's various branches and its budgetary allocations remains fraught with challenges.
Moving forward, the CJF’s decisions and engagements with the government will be closely watched, highlighting the delicate balance between fiscal responsibility and employee welfare within public institutions.