4 November, 2015After eight years of campaigning, Mexican union los Mineros has won a major victory in court over Grupo Mexico. In an important outcome for workers in Cananea, Sonora and their families, the Federal Board of Conciliation and Arbitration has ordered the mining corporation to pay the workers’ their share of the profits for 2007.
In Mexico, profit sharing is a constitutional right, where workers are owed a percentage of the profits made by a company. IndustriALL affiliate SNTMMSRM, also known as Mineros, had demanded that mining company Grupo Mexico share their profits of 2007.
According to the decision on 28 October, Grupo Mexico will have to pay more than 318 million pesos (US$19 million) for profit sharing for 2007 to the Mineros’ members of Section 65 from Cananea, Sonora. Each worker will receive a minimum of 100,000 Mexican pesos [US$6,000] and up to 200,000 pesos [US$12,000], according to the seniority in the job, category and salary of each worker.
"It has been a long, difficult and complicated struggle full of pressure, threats, corruption and betrayal from the authorities. However, los Mineros have won another battle against a dirty campaign full of attacks, lies and slander,” says Napoleon Gomez Urrutia, president and general secretary of SNTMMSRM.
"Once again, los Mineros fulfills its commitment to defend and protect the rights and dignity of the workers, and to seek justice against any obstacle or adversity that arises," said Gomez Urrutia.
Fernando Lopes, assistant general secretary of IndustriALL Global Union says:
"IndustriALL will continue to support the miners' struggle for justice, better working conditions and freedom of association."