Six months ago the U.S. government He asked Mexico review the case of denial of labor rights to factory workers Tridonex -Autoparts and brake company, in Matamoros, Tamaulipas-, under the rapid response mechanism of the T-MEC; but those who promoted the complaint affirm that “it has not been of any use.”
In an interview with The Economist, Deputy Susana Prieto Terrazas, who has been immersed in this issue, explained that, despite the fact that Mexico did not admit the complaint because it had been presented before July 1, the date on which the T-MEC came into force, it has not contributed to respecting the labor rights of workers.
Among other reasons why I had neither force nor forcefulness this complaint that resulted in an agreement, only between the American government and Tridonex, is that “one of the promoters, who was interested in defending the rights of workers, Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, passed away and apparently there is no one who will continue his project for the welfare of the workers in this tripartite trade agreement between Mexico, United States and Canada”, Details the lawyer and labor activist.
It should be recalled that the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and Tridonex, a subsidiary of Cardone Industries, announced last August that they signed a seven-point agreement, which includes compensation.
“The only advantage of filing a complaint within the T-MEC for violations of trade union freedom and democratization against Tridonex workers was setting the precedent that lawsuits can be filed; But if the United States is the country of demands, that is nothing new. The complaint was filed, but the only thing that helped us was to realize that the Department of Labor of the United States of America had no real intention of the freedom and democratization of unions for Mexican workers, ”said Prieto Terrazas.
In September the deadline was met without results
Putting together a file, going to the appropriate instances to follow up on the denial of labor rights was complicated and still is, as the secretary of the Labor Commission of the Chamber of Deputies also explains that the organization of the workers to elect their union representatives, and on the contrary, all benefits have been eliminated for those who want a change.
“The company has not recognized the labor rights of the workers in Tridonex, not only has it not allowed the representatives of the Independent National Union of Industry and Services Workers, Movement 2032 to enter the Tridonex plant to present their union offer within the plant, but also, they gave them a letter and told them that they are free to vote for any union, but at the same time they are repressed by the current union headed by Jesús Mendoza Reyes ”.
Regarding the role that the labor authorities have played, Susana Prieto reports that, “the only thing is that on January 13 at 9:30 in the morning the Federal Board of Conciliation and Arbitration, admitted the competence to hear the demand for ownership of the Tridonex collective bargaining agreement that the Independent National Union of Industry and Service Workers “Movement 20-32” is fighting against the Union of Workers of the Maquiladora Industry in Matamoros Tamaulipas, then that is the only thing that the authority of the work we were able to get it done ”.