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14 July, 2009
Leaders of mining and metal workers’ unions from around the world on 13 July condemned the Mexican government’s failure to bring justice to the families of the 65 mineworkers who died in an explosion at the Pasta de Conchos mine on 19 February 2006.
“The Mexican labour authorities are guilty of a triple failure,” said Jyrki Raina, General Secretary of the International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF), in Nueva Rosita, Coahuila. “They failed to prevent the disaster at Pasta de Conchos, they have failed to accomplish justice for the families of the victims, and they have failed to take the necessary measures to prevent future disasters.”
A special committee of the ILO, in a report issued in April, concluded: “the Government of Mexico did not do all that was reasonably expected of it to avoid or minimize the effects of the Accident which had such devastating effects with the loss of life of as many as 65 miners.”
The union leaders from Argentina, Canada, Peru, South Africa, and the US met with family members of the victims and with the rescue team that is working to recover the 63 bodies that remain entombed in the mine. At the entrance to the mine, they placed wreaths in memory of the workers who died.
“Mineworkers around the world are one family,” said Tim Baker, an occupational health and safety specialist for ICEM-affiliated United Mineworkers of America (UMWA). “We mourn the deaths of our brothers at Pasta de Conchos and we are outraged that Grupo Mexico and the labour authorities who are responsible for their deaths have gone unpunished, while the government continues to attack the Mineworkers’ Union.”
United Steelworkers (USW) District 3 Director Steve Hunt pledged his union’s support for the families’ effort to recover the bodies of the victims, and challenged other unions to commit their resources to the cause.
The delegation was organized by the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), the IMF, and the United Steelworkers. This was the last of the six-day series of events, which included a rally over the weekend.
Joe Drexler, ICEM Director of Industry and Corporate Affairs, who also met with family members, commented, "we believe that the refusal of the government and Grupo Mexico to recover the bodies is an effort to cover up the real causes of the mining disaster and the inadequacy of rescue efforts."
In addition to the USW and UMWA, the other ICEM affiliates to meet with the widows were the National Union of Mineworkers, South Africa (NUM), the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers Union, South Africa (CEPPWAWU), and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP), alongside ICEM affiliate Los Mineros.