28 February, 2011One week after unions from some 40 countries around the world took action in defense of labour rights in Mexico, SNTMMSRM union leader Juan Linares, who has been illegally imprisoned for more than two years, is released from prison.
MEXICO: Since December 3, 2008 Juan Linares Montufar, a union leader of the National Mexican Mine and Metal Workers Union (SNTMMSRM) had been imprisoned without bond in the Reclusorio Norte, a large prison in Mexico City. Linares was released from jail in the early morning hours of February 24, 2011. He was met outside the gate by some 100 Los Mineros members cheering.
News of Linares' release comes just days after some 50,000 union members and activists in 40 countries world-wide took action in support of labour rights in Mexico as part of the Global Days of Action, organized by the International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF), International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), and UNI Global Union, and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).
Linares is the President of the Oversight and Justice Council of the SNTMMSSRM, and a key member of the union's leadership.
"We are celebrating the news of Juan Linares' freedom but we cannot forget that two of our brothers remain illegally imprisoned," said Jyrki Raina, General Secretary of the International Metalworkers' Federation, referring to Miguel Marquez Rios, union leader from the Mexican Electrical Workers Union (SME) who has been imprisoned since 2010 and Martin Salazar Arvayo, a member of the SNTMMSRM who has been unjustly imprisoned since September last year.
"The Mexican government continues to try to destroy independent unions such as Los Mineros and SME, but we have shown our strength and solidarity, particularly in the past few weeks, and we will continue the fight, locally and globally until those responsible for the Pasta de Conchos mine explosion are brought to justice, political persecution of independent union members stops and the Mexican government recognises and honours workers' rights, including and specifically the fundamental right to freedom of association," Raina added.