6 September, 2011On September 1 approximately 100 independent and democratic unions and groups took part in two mass-based actions in Mexico City: the "national day of indignant Mexicans" and a rally outside the lower house of congress.
MEXICO: From early morning on September 1 organizations worked together in the Zocalo in central Mexico City to come up with a counter-report in anticipation of Calderon's fifth annual report to the nation. In the afternoon representatives of the unions, student and campesino groups rallied outside of Congress and sent a delegation of leaders from the UNT, SME, the joint IMF and ICEM affiliate Mineros, and others inside demanding a change in direction of the government, an end to persecution of independent organisations and criminalization of social protest, and a halt to the present labour and security law reform.
Lorraine Clewer of the Solidarity Center, AFL-CIO reports that the organisations then marched to the Zocalo where a 'counter-report' was read out to an estimated 40,000 people: The number of poor has increased with 10 million during this administration, real income is down by a third for the working and middle classes, unemployment is up 3 million, youth unemployment is up 7 million and there have been 50,000 deaths and disappearances as a result of the narcowar since December 2006.
Although they differ in the details, the unions showed unity throughout the day, with representatives from all of the major independent unions present both outside Congress and in the Zocalo.
The Mexican electricians union SME have camped in the Zocalo since March 2011 to protest against mass redundancies in the electrical utility. They demand jobs for the more than 16,000 workers who have not accepted the severance package, an immediate release of 13 detained SME members, access to frozen SME bank accounts and return of expropriated dues, an annulment of arrest warrants against the SME secretary general Martin Esparza Flores and other SME leaders, and that authorities confirm registration of 26 recently elected national union officials.
Many unions and other organizations have joined the camp in the Zocalo. An estimated 1000 people are now camping in the square, and the call is for more people to join. Electricity consumers will march against tariffs hikes on September 8. On September 15 the military plans to parade in the square, but the demonstrators are saying they will not move until there is a solution to the SME conflict, the Mexicana workers conflict and the Mineros conflicts, and jailed unionists have been freed. They fear that the government of Mexico will intervene militarily to evacuate the Zocalo, there have already been threats and movements of Army trucks on September 2.
Lorraine Clewer of the Solidarity Center, AFL-CIO reports that the organisations then marched to the Zocalo where a 'counter-report' was read out to an estimated 40,000 people: The number of poor has increased with 10 million during this administration, real income is down by a third for the working and middle classes, unemployment is up 3 million, youth unemployment is up 7 million and there have been 50,000 deaths and disappearances as a result of the narcowar since December 2006.
Although they differ in the details, the unions showed unity throughout the day, with representatives from all of the major independent unions present both outside Congress and in the Zocalo.
The Mexican electricians union SME have camped in the Zocalo since March 2011 to protest against mass redundancies in the electrical utility. They demand jobs for the more than 16,000 workers who have not accepted the severance package, an immediate release of 13 detained SME members, access to frozen SME bank accounts and return of expropriated dues, an annulment of arrest warrants against the SME secretary general Martin Esparza Flores and other SME leaders, and that authorities confirm registration of 26 recently elected national union officials.
Many unions and other organizations have joined the camp in the Zocalo. An estimated 1000 people are now camping in the square, and the call is for more people to join. Electricity consumers will march against tariffs hikes on September 8. On September 15 the military plans to parade in the square, but the demonstrators are saying they will not move until there is a solution to the SME conflict, the Mexicana workers conflict and the Mineros conflicts, and jailed unionists have been freed. They fear that the government of Mexico will intervene militarily to evacuate the Zocalo, there have already been threats and movements of Army trucks on September 2.