Key Labor Struggle in Mexico Reaching Critical Point

Independent unions in Mexico supported by international solidarity are rallying in support of a pivotal labor struggle where union members have camped out since March 2011 in Mexico City’s central plaza, the Zocalo. 

[Update:  Early the morning of September 13, union members approved an agreement subsequently followed by a peaceful end to the encampment.  According to the union, the government agreed to recognize the elected leadership of the union and released over $1.5 million in frozen union funds, and  is considered "a clear moral, political and financial victory for the SME."  For more background on this struggle and others in Mexico, and what U.S. unions and others are doing to support the democratic Mexican labor movement, see Mexican News & Analysis or call or call (513) 861-8722.]

Over 16,000 members of the SME (Sindicato Mexicano de Electricistas, the Mexican Electrical Workers Union) have for nearly two years survived without a paycheck and refused to accept severance checks as they fight back against the government closing down in October 2009 the state-owned Luz y Fuerza Centro (LyFC, Central Light and Power) company and abruptly dismissing 44,000 workers.

Negotiations between the SME union and the government have intensified in recent days in anticipation of Mexican Independence Day, September 16, when the military traditionally takes over the Zocalo.  Military trucks have reportedly circled the square and protestors over the weekend in what is seen as a sign of intimidation.  The independent Mexican union movement, led by the National Union of Workers, UNT, is preparing for the possibility of an attempt to forcibly remove SME workers and their supporters from the square; the SME has vowed not to leave without a satisfactory agreement.

The SME struggle is one of several key labor fights in Mexico against a government that seems determined to undermine the democratic union movement in Mexico and roll back protections for labor rights, with a particular focus on dismantling public sector unions that have gained some independent power.  The SME struggle has also been joined by consumers protesting increases in their electrical bills since the government closed LyFC.

The AFL-CIO and Steelworkers will host a Congressional briefing on September 13 with representatives from several key Mexican unions who will speak about the legal and other obstacles faced by Mexican unions who fight for decent wages and working conditions. 

For an excellent and inspirational look at the importance of the SME struggle, see the supplement to the August issue of Mexican Labor News and Analysis published jointly by the Authentic Labor Front, Frente Auténtico del Trabajo (FAT) of Mexico and the United Electrical Workers (UE), including the article “Members Vote Therefore The Union Exists: An Embattled Mexican Union Demonstrates its Strength at the Ballot Box.”