6 June, 2013Holding placards, workers at Honda Mexico held a meeting outside the Labour Ministry building in Mexico City on 4 June to demand the reinstatement of dismissed workers and respect for freedom of association.
Honda Mexico, located in the El Salto industrial corridor, Jalisco, dismissed five workers on 7 May and another six on 14 May after participating in a strike held on 16-18 April this year. The action was taken in protest at the company’s refusal to pay a fair share of company profits to workers.
The Honda Mexico United Workers’ Union (STUHM) has taken a series of actions in support of its demand for the reinstatement of the 11 dismissed workers. The union lodged a complaint with the Federal Labour Protection Office (PROFEDET).
At the demonstration held on 4 June, the STUHM demanded immediate government intervention to end the company’s intimidation of the workers, which violates the workers’ right to join the union of their choice. The protest was also attended by PRD and PT federal deputies and representatives from several unions including STUNAM, SITUAM, SME and the Telephone Workers’ Union, who expressed their complete solidarity with the auto workers’ demands.
The unionists called on the company to stick to the settlement agreement stipulating that they will not take repressive measures against the workforce; demanded to reinstate the dismissed workers and to negotiate an end to the dispute. They also called on the Conciliation and Arbitration Board to order the company to comply with its ruling to respect the workers’ right to join STUHM; confirm the union’s registration; resume consideration of representation rights (titularidad) and set a new date for workers to vote for the union they want to represent them (recuento).
The dismissed workers were members of the committee formed to negotiate with the company after the strike on 16 April. The company agreed to pay each worker 17,000 pesos and to not undertake any reprisals against the workforce. However, the company began to dismiss workers only two weeks later.
The STUHM thinks it is clear that Honda intends to punish the workers who took action in defence of their rights and thereby hamper the workforce’s attempts to organize to obtain decent working conditions and a genuinely representative union. José Luis Solorio, STUHM general secretary, denounced the company for holding workers in a room and threatening them with dismissal if they join STUHM.
For the last three years STUHM has been victim of constant attacks, threats and harassment by the company, the complicit “yellow” union, and the labour authorities. However, it has continued to fight for the right to organize and its membership has grown considerably in line with workers’ increased support.