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14 November, 2000New project office will assist not only in organising metalworkers but help them to build up national organisations.
MEXICO: The International Metalworkers' Federation officially inaugurated its Project Office for Mexico on November 8, 2000. Present at the special opening was an IMF delegation headed by its general secretary, Marcello Malentacchi, as well as all IMF-affiliated unions in Mexico and the country's major trade union federations.
The IMF opened the office this year not only to assist in organising and affiliating the large number of unorganised metalworkers in Mexico -- of the 1.6 million workers in the metal industry, only 30,000 belong so far to IMF affiliated unions -- but also to help metal unions build up national organisations. Its principal activities will deal with education, training and information and involve all possible eligible unions in Mexico, with the aim to organise and unite metalworkers. The office will also be making assessments of developments in the country's labour situation.
Already, with the victory of the National Action Party (PAN) and its candidate, Vicente Fox, in the July 2000 presidential election, at the expense of the long-time former ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), it is clear that the political scene in Mexico is changing. The newly-elected president has held talks with the different trade union federations to discuss labour law reform.
Three major priorities being considered by the government for the new legislation are:
- wage calculation and payment by the hour, not by the month (more flexible collective contracts);
- elimination of protection contracts (end of closed shop);
- banning of solidarity strikes and limitation on length of strikes to a maximum 30 days.
If such modifications are made in the present legislation, it would imply a major reform of the whole structure of Mexico's trade union movement over the long term. Mexican unions stand opposed to most of these proposed changes.
The IMF opened the office this year not only to assist in organising and affiliating the large number of unorganised metalworkers in Mexico -- of the 1.6 million workers in the metal industry, only 30,000 belong so far to IMF affiliated unions -- but also to help metal unions build up national organisations. Its principal activities will deal with education, training and information and involve all possible eligible unions in Mexico, with the aim to organise and unite metalworkers. The office will also be making assessments of developments in the country's labour situation.
Already, with the victory of the National Action Party (PAN) and its candidate, Vicente Fox, in the July 2000 presidential election, at the expense of the long-time former ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), it is clear that the political scene in Mexico is changing. The newly-elected president has held talks with the different trade union federations to discuss labour law reform.
Three major priorities being considered by the government for the new legislation are:
- wage calculation and payment by the hour, not by the month (more flexible collective contracts);
- elimination of protection contracts (end of closed shop);
- banning of solidarity strikes and limitation on length of strikes to a maximum 30 days.
If such modifications are made in the present legislation, it would imply a major reform of the whole structure of Mexico's trade union movement over the long term. Mexican unions stand opposed to most of these proposed changes.