6 May, 2010Mexican Miners' Union Convention decides to continue the four-year old struggle for trade union autonomy and an end to Grupo Mexico and Mexican government abuse.
MEXICO: The XXXVI Ordinary General Convention of the Mexican National Miners' and Metalworkers' Union (SNTMMSRM) opened on May 3. The Convention was attended by delegates elected at union branches, National Executive Committee (NEC) members, Area and Special Delegates and many representatives of Mexican trade unions, trade union centrals and social organizations along with leaders of Global Union Confederations (GUFs) such as the IMF and ICEM.
The Convention, which ended on May 4, gave a vote of confidence to Napoleón Gómez who continues as General Secretary until 2014 and debated the struggle of workers at the Cananea mine in the state of Sonora, where 1,200 miners have been on strike since July 2007.
The latest reports indicate that the Supreme Court of Justice has backed Grupo Mexico's decision to close the mine. Meanwhile, on April 23, Court 32 withdrew the order to detain Napoleón Gómez, who was accused of the misappropriation of US $55 million. The court's ruling requires ratification by the Supreme Court's criminal division. The Mexican Attorney General plans to appeal but the court's ruling is Res judicata, which means that the decision is definitive and the accused cannot be prosecuted twice on the same charges.
The representatives of Mexican miners at the Convention decided to continue the struggle and to defend their leaders, their jobs and their employment and trade union interests.
On the final day of the Convention, a Global Forum of Support and Solidarity was held in support of the miners' strike in the town of Cananea. An international delegation expressed its support for the miners on strike at Cananea and they, in turn, thanked the delegation, which included IMF and ICEM representatives, for their solidarity.