30 August, 2012Unions in Finland and Mexico joined with IndustriALL Global Union on 28 August in filing a complaint with the OECD against Finnish autoparts maker PKC Group for union busting in Mexico.
The unions accuse PKC of violating the rights of its workers in Ciudad Acuña, Mexico who produce wire harnesses for North American car and truck manufacturers including Ford, GM and Chrysler.
The National Miners’ and Metalworkers’ Union (SNTMMSSRM) has been calling for fair union elections and the right to bargain collective (http://www.industriall-union.org/industriall-calls-for-legal-and-fair-elections-at-pkc-mexico ) at the plant, but is facing continued and escalating opposition from the company.
PKC has openly and systematically violated the rights of its workers to democratically choose their union representative and bargain with their employer,
said IndustriALL General Secretary Jyrki Raina.
According to the complaint, rather than negotiate with SNTMMSSRM, the company signed a secret contract with a corrupt union affiliated to the CTM (Confederación de Trabajadores de México), a national organization tied to the Institutional Revolutionary Party.
“Workers were never consulted, given the chance to vote or even given a copy of their union contract,” said Raina. “These are flagrant violations of international labor standards.”
Mexican labour authorities have scheduled a hearing 31 August to set a date for an election in the plants, which employ about 6,000 workers. However, workers have reported widespread intimidation from the company, including threats to cut benefits, lay off workers and even close the plant. “Unfortunately, at this point there is no guarantee that there can be a fair election,” Raina said.
The complaints, alleging violations of the OECD Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises, were filed with the OECD National Contact Points in Finland and Mexico. The Finnish unions filing the complaint are the Metalworkers, Union of Professional Engineers, and the white-collar union Pro. The Mexican complaint was filed by SNTMMSSRM.
The text of the complaint is available in English, Spanish and Finnish on the IndustriALL website:
English: http://www.industriall-union.org/sites/default/files/uploads/documents/PKC-Mexico/pkc_oecd_queja_final_-_en.pdf
Spanish: http://www.industriall-union.org/sites/default/files/uploads/documents/PKC-Mexico/pkc_oecd_queja_final_-_es.pdf
Finish: http://www.industriall-union.org/sites/default/files/uploads/documents/PKC-Mexico/pkc_oecd_queja_final_-_fi.pdf