Because a World Cup is not done with goals alone: the (somewhat ambitious) plan of CDMX
It seems that someone at the Secretary of Labor and Employment Promotion (STyFE, because government acronyms are our love language) saw the calendar and had a moment of existential panic. The 2026 World Cup is just around the corner in FIFA time! And no, it’s not just about building pretty stadiums and painting lines on the grass. It turns out that we need people who work, and work with rights, something that sounds as revolutionary as finding an avocado toast for less than a hundred pesos.
So, in a move that mixes magical realism with a touch of hope, the STyFE announced the creation of an interinstitutional coordination committee. It sounds like those project groups you put together for university where one does all the work and the others put their name in, but hopefully this one will work better. The mission: ensure that labor rights are not a fantasy during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Basically, prevent the football party from becoming an episode of Black Mirror at work.
This bureaucratic dream team will not be alone in its cave. It will have direct communication channels with FIFA itself (blessed are those who manage to decipher that bureaucracy) and with national and international unions. In other words, an international party where everyone, in theory, is invited to speak. The star alliance will be with the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) and the local Secretary of Tourism (SecturCDMX), because what good is a labor right if you can’t get to work because of traffic?
The decalogue of (good) intention
The agreement is based on a strategy of ten lines of action, which sounds like those New Year’s resolutions that you write with fervor and abandon in February. But I hope this comes true. The plan includes training workers and employers in labor rights, safety standards and the operation of the event. The stated goal is as noble as it is ambitious: “avoid human trafficking in the workplace” and provide workspaces with healthy conditions. Basically, that no one ends up working in a situation that deserves a viral tweet of denunciation.
But it is not only about avoiding the bad, it also promises to promote social dialogue and labor inspection in strategic sectors such as transportation, logistics and tourism. Sectors that, let’s be honest, tend to have more drama than a reality show. And here comes the progressive plot twist: Convention 190 of the International Labor Organization will also be disseminated and applied to combat workplace violence and harassment, with special attention to women, young people and the LGBT+ community. A movement that all of us on social media are going to applaud with emojis of clapping hands, because in theory it sounds impeccable.
The final objective of the plan is to strengthen fair labor relations in all the premises and service companies contracted for the event, open employment opportunities to vulnerable groups (because inclusion should be more than a hashtag) and guarantee adequate health conditions in the workplace. In other words, the experience of working at the World Cup is not like surviving on a Discord server full of trolls.
And to top off the move, safe and accessible public transportation will also be promoted to facilitate the mobility of workers and assistants. Basically, you don’t have to get on a van that looks like it’s about to participate in Mad Max to get to your turn. And, crucially, establish measures to prevent human trafficking in the transportation industry and related sectors. Because no sporting event should be built on human exploitation, no matter how beautiful the trophy is.
The head of the STyFE, Inés González, said the phrase for the bronze: “With this agreement we must be very prepared so that the World Cup is successful before, during and after, always respecting labor rights and complying with the norm. We cannot give a bad example to the world. We want that, in addition to seeing the field, visitors recognize that in Mexico there is decent work, formal work and quality services”. Sounds good, right? Like a president’s speech in a Hollywood movie before everything goes wrong. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that this time the script is different and the legacy is not only underused stadiums, but also a precedent for decent work.
Do you think this plan will achieve its objective or will it remain just talk? Share this note and tag those who you think should be aware of these commitments. Explore more content about what’s going on behind mega sporting events in our News section.
