15 April, 2008In an example of leadership, Napoleón Gómez has sent a message of encouragement, support and solidarity to workers of the union's section 65, at Cananea, who have been on strike for eight months.
MEXICO: The First Appeal Court on Labour Matters of the First Circuit has rejected Grupo Mexico's request for a review of the legality of the eight-month-old strike at section 65, Cananea, Sonora.
In a communiqué, Napoleón Gómez Urrutia, General Secretary of the Miners' Union, Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores Mineros, Metalúrgicos y Similares de la República Mexicana, said: "As usual, Grupo Mexico intends and intended to ignore the law, because it is used to being able to do what it wants and nobody has demanded that it comply with its duties to workers and the law. And in the last few days, this has led workers at Cananea to defend their Collective Agreement by preventing replacement workers, paid thugs and strike-breakers gaining access to the installations".
He added that, "on Monday 7 April, in a paid newspaper announcement, we affirmed that Germán Larrea and Grupo Mexico are desperate, because their illegal and outrageous behaviour is not producing results. The decision by the Appeal Court is once again in the union's favour, and this clearly shows that not everybody is corrupt when it comes to applying the law and that these judges are a credit to themselves. They have simply reaffirmed what the law says, and this is a credit to these judges, who have not allowed themselves to be pressured, and much less bribed, by Grupo Mexico".
"The important thing is to resolve the strike, with an agreement that is satisfactory to the workers, and then get back to normalising the situation at the workplace. The National Miners' Union has always been and always will be ready to use legal means to reach a comprehensive agreement that is satisfactory for both sides. Our people have not become desperate or discouraged despite the length of the dispute", said Napoleón.
Finally, Napoleón Gómez Urrutia, sent a message of encouragement, support and solidarity to workers of section 65 at Cananea, Sonora, section 17 at Taxco, Guerrero, and section 201 at Sombrerete, Zacatecas, who have been on strike for eight and a half months.