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Major cities hold rallies at Mexican Embassies and Consulates

22 February, 2012In support of the Global Days of Action 2012, unions are calling on the Mexican government to implement ILO recommendations regarding Freedom of Association in Mexico, stop attacks on independent trade unions, and respect international labour standards.

GLOBAL/MEXICO: From Seoul to Pretoria, Geneva to Mexico City, unions are taking joint action during the week of February 19-25 to urge the government of Mexico to stop its attack on independent trade unions and freedom of association.

International mobilizations kicked off in the main square of Mexico City on February 19, in remembrance of the 65 miners who died in the Pasta de Conchos mine explosion on that date six years ago. On February 21, actions took place in Mexico, Geneva and London.

The Tri-National Solidarity Alliance, which joins unions from Mexico, Canada and the U.S., held an International Meeting of Solidarity at the headquarters of the Mexican Electricians Union (SME) in Mexico City.  Speakers at the event, including IMF Executive Committee member and exiled leader of the National Union of Miners and Metal Workers of Mexico (SNTMMRM) Napoleon Gomez, (via video conference) denounced the Mexican government's attacks on fundamental workers' rights and called for the implementation of ILO recommendations adopted by the Governing Body in March 2011.

In Switzerland, a  group of 20 ICEM, IMF, UNI and IUF activists held a small action outside of the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. Manfred Warda, Jyrki Raina, Philip Jennings, Fernando Lopes, Kemal Ozkan met with Mr. Juan José Gómez Camacho, Ambassador to the Mexico mission.

Discussions between the Norwegian Foreign Ministry and Fellesforbundet are underway ahead of a planned visit to Mexico by the Foreign Ministry later this month. The union has been briefing their government on the issue of Protection Contracts in Mexico and the ongoing attacks on fundamental worker freedoms.

Mexico's Embassy in London met with a delegation from the TUC, Unite, GMB, Amnesty International and Southern and Eastern Regional TUC on February 21. Similar actions are planned for major cities in the USA, including Chicago, Tucson, Boston and Denver, and in Korea, Pakistan, South Africa and Canada.

Unions around the world are also supporting the global action by sending protest letter to the Mexican government in care of their respective embassies and consulates.

For more information go to: www.imfmetal.org/Mexico2012