They denounce job insecurity in OFJ

Inside the Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra (OFJ) the discomfort grows. Members of the state ensemble, under the artistic direction of Jose Luis Castillo and the general administrative direction of Felipe Pepper Cowdescribe an environment marked by job uncertaintythe lack of benefits and the absence of dialogue with the Administration. Most prefer to speak anonymously, for fear of reprisals.

According to different testimonies, around 80 percent of the more than 80 musicians in the group work without a joblow contracts for fees o assimilated to salarywithout basic benefits or access to medical services, despite having seniority ranging from 5 to 10 years, a period that according to the Federal Labor Law would give them the right to basicization.

The musicians assure that there have been unfulfilled promises by previous Administrations to grant positions and job certainty, which even in the management of Lourdes Gonzalez in front of the Ministry of Culture of Jalisco (SCJ) -in the Emecista administration of Enrique Alfaro- the approval of resources for this was announced. However, the money never translated into formal contracts.

“The orchestra never awarded the places. Someone within the institution did not want to have the will, time ran out, we do not know what happened, but this new Administration arrived and they have not done anything either.“said a musician who asked to remain anonymous.

Among the main disagreements are also the unjustified discounts on payments for extraordinary concerts -like mariachi galas- and incomplete travel expenses during municipal and national tours.

“They offered us an amount and then deposited much less, claiming taxes of 45 percent, which is not true, the commitment was more than 20 thousand pesos and in the end they gave us less than 15 thousand pesos; the discounts are excessive“said another member of the OFJ.

A message published anonymously on social networks, which coincides with the statements of the musicians interviewed, completes that “In the Jalisco Philharmonic, all the musicians are very dissatisfied with the irregularities of the Administration.

“Discounts are made without justification, the corresponding travel expenses are not paid, and like every year, they did not pay us in full for the mariachi galas.“, reads the publication.

The musicians point out that their contracts include a clause that imposes fines of up to 500 thousand pesos in case of discussing publicly or in writing the working conditions, which they consider an intimidating measure.

“What I say I do it with great fear. The contract says that I must pay half a million pesos if I talk about the content of the contract“explained another of the interviewees.

Go saccusations for administrative mismanagement are not new in the orchestra. In past administrations there was talk of financial disorder y lack of transparencyamong others.

Although the problems of access to the OFJ’s fundamental information, which is a Decentralized Public Organization of the Ministry of Culture of Jaliscoin a review of the page www.ofj.com.mx, it was found that data such as budget, financial statements and payroll cannot be consulted directly on the site. One link refers to the National Transparency Platform, which also does not allow reviewing the exercise of public resources allocated to the orchestra or other data that is still part of its obligations by law.

The members interviewed insist that their demand is not extraordinary: “We are not asking for anything outside the law. We want our work to be recognized with basic labor rights: social security and stability“concluded one of them.

Since 2015, not a single new position has been created in the Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra (OFJ), accepted the Ministry of Culture of Jalisco (SCJ) in its official response to the accusations of members of the ensemble, who denounced job insecurity, unjustified discounts and lack of certainty in their contracts.

The agency explained that currently only 17 musicians have a formal positionwhile 66 work under the fee regime assimilated to salary, which means that around 80 percent of the members do not have access to benefits or social security.

According to the SCJ, this situation is due to the fact that the orchestra’s authorized staff has remained frozen for a decade, and that no Administration has created new positions since 2015.

“The current administration is working to reverse this situation through progressive basification and in accordance with the State’s budget availability.“, stated the agency in writing.

The Secretariat detailed that work tables were set up with the Secretariats of Finance and Administration, as well as with the General Strategic Coordination of Social Development, with the aim of designing a medium-term plan that allows the creation of new places.

Meanwhile, he assured, annual contracts have been signed for similar fees, instead of the previous quarterly or semi-annual agreements, which – according to the SCJ – grants greater legal stability for musicians.

One of the most sensitive issues among musicians has been the alleged existence of a contractual clause that would impose fines of up to 500 thousand pesos for talking about working conditions. The agency denied that version.

“There is no such clause. The OFJ fully respects the rights of free expression and organization. The confidentiality clause does not restrict these rights, but rather protects sensitive information linked to copyright, personal data, institutional agreements and logistics of tours or transfers. Its function is to preserve the security of the artistic body and cultural assets, not to limit the freedom of expression of musicians.“, responded the agency.

Regarding complaints about unjustified discounts in payments for extraordinary concerts and incomplete travel expenses, the Secretariat argued that the withholdings applied are exclusively due to taxes or labor incidents.
Each additional presentation, such as the Mariachi Galas, is paid with a fixed amount of 1,500 pesos, and during 2025 the musicians performed 15 services of this type, which increased the amount of ISR withholdings.

“During 2025, musicians received 15 additional services for the Mariachi Galas, which increased total income. This increase generated a higher ISR withholding, as occurs with any taxpayer when receiving additional income.“, clarified the SCJ.

Regarding travel expenses, the agency indicated that they are governed by the State Government Per diem Manual and that a per diem (daily allowance to cover expenses during work trips) of 7,200 pesos per musician during the national tour carried out a few weeks ago, also subject to taxes.

Regarding the lack of visible financial information on the OFJ’s official portal, the SCJ insisted that the Reports are published quarterly on the trust’s transparency portal and that are updated in accordance with legal deadlines.

By 2025, the budget assigned to the orchestra amounts to 66.4 million pesos, of which 39 percent is allocated to musicians with a position, 56 percent to those hired for fees and 5 percent to operating expenses, artistic direction and production.

The SCJ rejected that there are acts of intimidation or retaliation against musicians. He stated that the orchestra has a Representative Commission elected by direct vote that maintains permanent dialogue with the Administration, and that there is an open-door policy to address disagreements.

Among the measures undertaken in recent years, the agency mentioned the regularization of grassroots musicians as public servantssalary increases of up to 21 thousand pesos annually, acquisition and maintenance of instruments, and the reactivation of artistic and representative commissions.

The Secretary of Culture of Jalisco, Gerardo Ascencio, observes members of the OFJ in a presentation in La Colmena de San Juan de Dios.

The Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra It was founded in 1915 under the name Guadalajara Symphony Orchestra and with the impulse of figures such as the composer Jose Rolonwhich was maintained for almost a decade thanks to the sponsorship of the initiative and a minimum of state subsidies.

Until 1971 it remained under this private budget scheme, with contributions from businessmen and music lovers from Guadalajara. From this date it was added to the structure of the Department of Fine Arts of the State of Jaliscothe antecedent of the Ministry of Culture of Jalisco.

It was not until 1988 that the group was renamed Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra and in this second period, under the leadership of Manuel de Elias.

The group has had directors such as Leslie Hodge, Eduardo Mata, José Guadalupe Flores, Luis Herrera de la Fuente, Alondra de la Parra and since February 2022, the musician of Spanish origin, Jose Luis Castillois the main director.

According to the most recent calls to occupy a lectern in the OFJ, the gross monthly remunerations range from 36,550 pesos, for row musicians; 42 thousand 350 pesos, for co-principals y 46 thousand 990 pesos, for main sectionunder contract for fees comparable to salary.

According to public information, when his arrival was announced, José Luis Castillo has a gross salary of 150,800 pesos, an amount similar to that of his predecessor Marco Parisotto. The orchestra administration pays 91 thousand pesos and the rest is absorbed by OFJ Board of Trustees., in charge of Rodrigo Ibarra Michel.

The musicians are committed to attending the ordinary concerts of the regular seasons, three throughout the year, they have rehearsals from Monday to Thursday, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and attend extraordinary concerts outside the Degollado Theater, with travel expenses and extra bonuses according to each type of concert.