1 November, 2012The proposed changes to the labour legislation in Mexico are still poised to legalize the mass abuse of workers in the country; however passage through parliament has been slowed, and Mexican unions yesterday pledged to combat the reform together.
Over a dozen Mexican trade unions and other social groups put their differences aside yesterday, 31 October, on the Esplanade of the Revolution Monument in Mexico City, in a unified convention against the proposed neoliberal labour law changes. A large participation representing workers across all industrial sectors agreed on a joint Action Plan that includes demonstrations, legal action and a possible general strike.
It had been feared that the legislation changes would be fast-tracked into law, but policy differences between the two largest political parties, the PRI and PAN, mean it will be handled in a more standard manner, first passing to the parliamentary Labour and Social Welfare Committee. The PAN, together with PRD and PT senators insisted on inserting provisions on trade union association and election transparency, whereas the PRI which dominates the lower house refuses to accept these provisions due to the party’s close ties to yellow protection unions of Mexico.
The PRI and PAN however are in full agreement on the bulk of the reforms which will drastically reduce labour and trade union rights for workers, increasing flexibility for domestic and foreign employers to abuse workers for profit.
The main amendments to the labour law already accepted will: end job security; employees could be dismissed via email without notice and without cost to the employer; establish temporary probation contracts that build no employee seniority; legalize outsourcing so that employers can evade any direct corporate and industrial responsibility; continue to allow employers to set salaries without union consultation; facilitate the establishing of yellow protection unions which end the right to collective bargaining; limit to one year the payment of wages due for unfair dismissal, while encouraging the corrupt labour courts to continue with delaying tactics to deal with workers’ demands.
The IndustriALL Take Action online petition sending messages to five key Mexican Senators was well responded to, but is now out of date due to the subsequent passing of the legislation from the Senate to the lower house of parliament, the Cámara de Diputados.
The current reforms in discussion would legalize many illegal procedures that the majority of pseudo unions have been benefitting from for years and make it much more difficult for any genuine union to defend workers’ rights in Mexico.
See here a recent example of the brutal treatment of trade unionists in Mexico, with complicity from the company and the authorities.
See attached to this article the Action Plan adopted by the trade union convention, 31 October. See also attached a report on the labour law reforms from IndustriALL affiliated glass workers’ union SUTEIVP.