Tulum Mayor Probes Pay Cuts for City Workers

Tulum, Quintana Roo — Following complaints from bureaucrats at the Tulum City Council regarding salary reductions ranging from one thousand to three thousand pesos starting with the September 15th pay period, Mayor Diego Castañón Trejo has assured a thorough investigation to determine the causes of these adjustments to the earnings of some workers and directors.

“We need to check why they were earning more and why they are now earning less,” the mayor declared when questioned about the cuts.

The municipal president explained that instructions have already been issued to engage in dialogue with the city’s chief administrative officer to clarify whether the deductions are related to the municipal pay scale, compliance with work schedules, or absences from work.

The mayor defended the performance of the chief administrative officer, whom he described as “very responsible and transparent,” but underscored the importance of verifying whether the affected workers have fulfilled their job responsibilities.

“We cannot have a problem there. If it is something that was adjusted to the pay scale, well, nothing can be done. There are regulations in the municipality. I want to know what is happening, that is also why we brought in the Auditor's office last time, so they could review everything,” he stated.

“If they no longer come to work, or they come two or three days, and the days they did not come were deducted, that is also valid. We have also detected many jobs where people do not come to work and that has consequences. If they do not come, their salary is reduced for that day, and we need to know what is happening,” he affirmed.

When asked if this constitutes a salary restructuring, Castañón Trejo denied that it had been done formally but acknowledged that there is a review of the workers' performance and commitment.

“I do not believe it is a restructuring as such, but I do know that people have a commitment to come to work here. If someone does not show up for 10 or 12 days, we also have to defend ourselves as a municipality. The salary is paid by the people, and we have to be consistent,” he maintained.

The mayor emphasized that as public servants, they must prioritize service to the citizenry.

“We are public officials to serve the people and to ensure they lack nothing. If someone wants to stay at home without fulfilling their duties, it is not fair to the others who do work and to the citizens,” he concluded.