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28 February, 2011
In a powerful display of international solidarity, the “Global Days of Action for Trade Union Rights in Mexico,” 14-19 February, were marked by events in over 40 countries, on five continents, including 17 cities in the US and Canada.
The International Textile, Garment, & Leather Workers Federation (ITGLWF) called for fundamental rights in the Mexican garment sector, where “protection contracts” deny workers of their basic labour rights, as is the case throughout Mexico.
In Mexico, the independent labour movement conducted over 27 actions throughout the country, including visits to embassies of 23 countries, a march and demonstration in Mexico City from the Angel of Independence to the offices of Grupo México, seminars, and a protest rally at the Monument of the Revolution. Each day of action was marked inside Mexico. The leaders of Los Mineros and the SME signed a pact of national unity.
Mexico City
An agreement was reached with the US embassy in Mexico City to begin regular discussions on the complaints presented, in particular the cases of Los Mineros and SME.
Toronto, Canada
In Canada, high-level trade union delegations met with Mexican ambassadors and consuls in four cities, while pickets continued outside. The Vancouver action was marked by speeches from Los Mineros General Secretary Napoleón Gómez, SME General Secretary Martin Esparanza, and Jorge Castillo Magaña, Assistant General Secretary of the Telefonistas union. See video footage of the Vancouver, Canada, action here.
Washington DC, USA
In the US, rallies, meetings with ambassadors and consuls, and pickets, sent the clear message to the Mexican Calderón government that pressure is building inside the country’s largest trading partner that labour rights abuses must end. See video footage of the Washington DC rally in front of the Mexican Embassy here. San Francisco, Tucson Arizona, Austin Texas.
Geneva, Switzerland
In Switzerland, the office of the Ambassador to the United Nations was targeted by a rally, while ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda, IMF Assistant General Secretary Fernando Lopes, and UNI SCORE Director Adriana Rosenzvaig met with the ambassador to convey the demands of the action. Ambassadors around the world expressed some concern, but generally denied wrongdoing by the Mexican government. Many made promises to follow-up on the demands. The dialogue and pressure will continue.
100 unionists rallied on the lawn in front of Parliament House in Canberra
See a video of the Australia action here, where a high-level, cross-sector delegation met with the Mexican Ambassador, and a large rally was organised in front of Parliament House in Canberra.
Some of the other events around the world during the Global Days of Action included:
Mexico Embassy, Tokyo: meeting with the Japan Councils of the four GUFs, along with JTUC-RENGO
Sweden: IF Metall met with the Mexican Ambassador in Stokholm
Letters and press releases in Turkey
Meetings and letters in Spain with Mexican Ambassador, Spanish Government, European Parliament.
A joint rally in Bangkok, Thailand, Ministry of Labour, as well as letters to the Mexican Ambassador.
A picket was conducted in front of the Mexican Embassy in Moscow, in temperatures of -25°C, demands were transferred to the Ambassador
In Brussels, the Mexican embassy was picketed, with a union delegation meeting the Ambassador, a meeting was conducted with the EU-Mexico Joint Parliamentary Committee
The Mexican Embassy in Peru was picketed
Picket of the Mexican Embassy in Indonesia
Picket of the Mexican Embassy in New Zealand
Letters were sent from affiliated trade unions from Poland to Puerto Rico, from Norway and Germany to Bangladesh, and many others.
Join the LabourStart campaign here and join thousands of protestors in writing to Calderón. 3,000 messages were sent via the campaign in the first week, and the numbers are growing every day.
The actions took place around the fifth anniversary of the Pasta de Conchos mine explosion, where the continued failure to exhume and recover the bodies of 63 of the 65 miners who died there, or to take responsibility for the “industrial homicide” of those workers, and properly compensate their families continues to anger the international labour movement.
The action in support of the democratic and independent trade unions in Mexico was initiated by unions from around the world affiliated to the ICEM, International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF), International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), UNI Global Union, and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).