The United States requested the first group of the Labor Rapid Response Mechanism under the North American Trade Agreement from Mexico.
The request concerns a labor dispute at the San Martin mine in the state of Zacatecas, which is operated by Grupo México.
The complaint was filed by the miners’ union headed by Napoleon Gómez Urrutia; In the first case, the Mexican government confirmed that there was no violation, so now the United States government is convening this commission to make a final decision.
The union is asking President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to intervene on behalf of the workers, although the economy ministry has confirmed there is no “denial of rights” at the mine.
My hat. Photo: Grupo Mexico video.
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The United States Government has received a petition for speedy review signed by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), the United Steelworkers (USW), and the National Union of Miners, Iron Workers, Steel Workers and Similar Industries. Company of the Mexican Republic, headed by Napoleon Gomez Urrutia.
The petition alleges that Grupo México has resumed work at the San Martín mine despite the ongoing strike and has engaged in collective bargaining with a coalition of workers, although the union has the right to represent workers in collective bargaining.
On June 16, the United States asked Mexico to consider whether workers at the San Martin Mine are being denied the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining.
The Mexican government stated that it checked the facts and concluded that there was no denial of rights. Among their arguments is that the object is not covered by TMECbecause the alleged violation took place before the entry into force of the new treaty.
However, the United States government does not agree with this definition, as it claims to have “sufficient and credible evidence” of rights violations.
For this reason, the United States government activated the T-MEC Operational Mechanism Rapid Response Team at the Grupo México mine for the first time.
Union
Gómez Urrutia’s union has confirmed that Grupo México systematically violates workers’ rights.
In this case, the union claims that the company has reopened despite the fact that the strike has been going on since 2007.
“…in addition, the company promoted the creation of yet another union with the complicity of the charros and scab, ignoring the National Mining Union as the holder of the Collective Bargain in a completely illegal procedure.”
The union hopes that President Andrés Manuel López Obrador will intervene on behalf of the workers.
Undoubtedly, this request from the MLRR could set a precedent for the relevant Mexican authorities to create and resolve a conflict that has denigrated and left hundreds of miners and their families defenseless over the years. The workforce situation in Mexico must change fundamentally, and this will happen through the effective implementation of national and international mechanisms, which we will continue to use to achieve significant improvements for all workers.
Source: Aristegui Noticias
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
