New association announced for Mexican workers

Mexico City. A dozen leaders of unions and confederations announced the formation of a new association, from which they will promote pending labor reforms such as the reduction of the work day from 48 to 40 hours, as well as the evaluation of the Rapid Response Labor Mechanism (MLRR) of the T-MEC.

This is the General Association of Workers of Mexico (AGT), whose main objective is to promote unity, strengthen the workers’ struggle that began more than 90 years ago, defend their rights and achieve greater benefits for them, said the leader of the National Miners’ Union, Senator Napoleón Gómez Urrutia.

This new trade union organisation currently represents the interests of at least one million workers and also seeks to strengthen tripartism and the institutional relationship with the government.

“This new association is not a closed or exclusive unit for a group that we initially started. We do it selflessly, there is no pretension here from anyone, neither from the leaders nor from the workers, to seek prominence or attitudes of personal or particular benefit from any organization. We do it, and we are totally convinced, that we have to reform the world of work. Our fundamental commitment is with the working class of this country,” said the mining leader.

At a press conference, Rodolfo González Guzmán, leader of the Mexican Regional Workers’ Confederation (CROM), indicated that in addition to the reform to reduce the working day, they will also seek the exemption of Income Tax (ISR) for up to three minimum wages; the strengthening of housing policies, pension and health systems, in addition to the increase of the bonus from 15 to 30 days.

Regarding the monitoring and analysis of the T-MEC Rapid Response Labor Mechanism, he noted that the aim is to promote the standardization of criteria, labor and legal standards between Mexico, the United States and Canada.

Gómez Urrutia stressed that the organization among the unions has allowed for obtaining important results in the country’s labor policy, such as the elimination of outsourcing, the approval of dignified vacations, as well as more than 160 initiatives, reforms and points of agreement, unanimously endorsed, modifications promoted by the Labor Commission that he headed in the Senate.

The governing body of the AGT is made up of union leaders Gómez Urrutia, González Guzmán and Isaías González, from the CROC; the board is a collegiate coordination with a duration of two years, rotating and not consecutive.

The new association is made up of the National Federation of Banking Unions, the Confederation of Workers, Peasants and Employees of Mexico (COCEM), the National Union of Workers of the Metro Collective Transportation System, the telephone operators, and the National Union of Workers of the National Monte de Piedad

Initially, the AGT was intended to be made up of 15 unions, federations or confederations; however, a few days ago the National Union of Social Security Workers (SNTSS), the SME, the CTM and the Association of Aviation Pilots (ASPA) finally decided not to belong to the new organization.