Tulum, Quintana Roo — About 60 workers at the Jaguar Park were laid off between Monday and Tuesday, according to the affected employees, who said the company informed them their contracts, which expired June 30, would not be renewed. The move left dozens of people who depended on the project as their main source of income without jobs and created uncertainty over the payment of benefits they believe they are owed.
The former employees said they were initially hired under three-month temporary agreements and later on one-month contracts, a scheme they said left them in a vulnerable labor situation. They indicated that when their contracts ended, they were told their services were no longer needed, without receiving a more detailed explanation.
“They told us the contract would not be renewed because our services were no longer necessary. Now what worries us most is what will happen with our benefits and our families, because many of us depended on this job,” some of the affected workers said.
The layoffs come amid a difficult economic environment in Tulum, where various sectors have reported a decline in tourism and commercial activity. The workers said they had placed their job expectations on federal projects promoted in the region, so the termination of their contracts represents a heavy blow to their family finances.
Adding to the situation are allegations by some workers of alleged administrative irregularities within Grupo Mundo Maya, as well as the departure of the general director, General Adolfo Héctor Tonatiuh Velasco Bernal. The affected workers also questioned the alleged awarding of contracts to people close to the administration; however, these accusations have not been officially confirmed. They have requested the intervention of federal authorities to review the conditions under which the layoffs occurred and to ensure respect for the labor rights of those who participated in the project’s operation.
