BEERG: Global Unions Join Forces to Press for Labor Law Changes in Mexico

For a number of years the global union movement has been demanding changes in Mexico’s labor laws to ban so-called “protection contracts” – agreements put in place between companies and certain unions which then block other unions from seeking representation rights.  According to the BEERG Global Labor Newsletter, unions estimate that 90 percent of all collective bargaining agreements in Mexico are protection contracts.  With major multinational enterprises increasingly looking at Mexico as a location for facilities to service the U.S. market, the unions are ramping up their campaign to bring an end to these contracts and thus create a window of opportunity for what they would consider “independent unions” to secure bargaining rights.  The global union movement hosted a meeting last week to coincide with the annual meeting of the ILO in Geneva at which Christy Hoffman, deputy general secretary of UNI Global Union, called the situation in Mexico “a serious crisis for freedom of association, a crisis for our workers (and) our unions."  Speakers at the meeting denounced companies such as Wal-Mart, Atento, PKC, and Grupo Mexico for “depriving workers of their right to freedom of association."  "This is a call to action," said Liz Shuler, AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer.  "We need to build our capacity to better deliver solidarity and build our union networks around the world to take on this fight."  In addition to seeking changes in Mexican laws, the group also said it would “hold multinationals accountable for their role and profit in having protection contracts,” including identifying those “that have made commitments to adhere to international labor standards, such as Global Framework Agreements, OECD guidelines and members of the Global Compact.”