26 April, 2010In Mexico, an IMF delegation attended a tribute to miners who died at Lázaro Cárdenas, a press conference that focused on IMF complaints to the ILO and a protest outside the offices of Grupo Mexico.
MEXICO: The IMF joined Latin American and Caribbean affiliates in important actions in solidarity with Mexican miners on the occasion of the regional conference held in Mexico City on April 21-22.
On April 20, an IMF delegation travelled to Lázaro Cárdenas to attend a tribute to the miners who died there on April 20, 2006. The federation reiterated its support for the miners' union and its leader Napoleon Gomez.
Later, during the regional conference itself, leaders of the miners' union and Jyrki Raina, IMF General Secretary and Carol Bruce of the ICEM, held a press conference that focused on IMF complaints to the ILO about how the "protection contracts" prevalent in Mexico violate the freedom of association. The press conference also criticised the Supreme Court's ruling that backed Grupo México's decision to close the Cananea mine.
Finally, on Friday April 23, the IMF delegation, together with a group of union leaders and miners from Cananea, Somberete and Taxco, went to the Grupo Mexico offices to deliver a letter to the company president, Germán Larrea Mota-Velasco, in support of the miners' union. Regrettably, no company official would receive the letter and so it was delivered to security staff as the union delegation chanted in support of the miners' struggle and against the company president.
The letter condemns the persecution of Mexican miners on strike and demands justice for the families of the victims of the Pasta de Conchos disaster and respect for the freedom of association and collective bargaining.
The Mexican Miners' Union thanked the IMF and its affiliates for their solidarity and assured them that, with international support, they "will win this battle, come what may".