Mexican Miners and Electricians unite!

MEXICO: In a joint press conference in Mexico City on February 23, Napoleon Gomez Urrutia of the National Union of Mineworkers (SNTMMSRM) and Martin Esparza Flores of the Mexican Electrical Workers (SME) announced an historic agreement to join efforts to fight the Mexican government's attack on independent unions and to work with other independent unions to strengthen the democratic union movement in Mexico. The agreement was signed by both leaders on February 17 in Vancouver, Canada during the Days of Global Action of Mexico.

"The Great National Unity Pact of Mining and Electrical" comes at a time when both unions are facing unprecedented repression by the Mexican government. Labour leaders from both unions remain imprisoned for their union activity, the government has illegally froze union accounts of both the SNTMMSRM and SME, and both unions have struggled against government interference in union affairs, the source of two separate complaints now pending at the International Labour Organisation.

As part of the alliance the unions pledge to develop organizational structures to coordinate their combined efforts in order to carry out common strategies and goals. They also pledge to organize meetings at the regional and national level to disseminate and consolidate the objectives of the agreement.

"This is a momentous event and a significant step in building a strong democratic and independent trade union movement in Mexico," said International Metalworkers' Federation Assistant General Secretary Fernando Lopes. "We have seen over the last week what can be accomplished when strong, democratic unions come together and demand change. The international labour community applauds this step forward and is committed to supporting the SNTMMSRM and SME as they double their efforts to fight for fundamental labour rights for Mexican workers."

See full text of the SNTMMSRM and SME pact here in Spanish only.