MEXICO CITY, Jan 21 (Reuters) – The United Auto Employees (UAW) union on Friday pressed Normal Motors and Mexican officers to step up efforts to make sure employees at a pick-up truck plant in central Mexico can vote freely subsequent month to decide on a brand new union.
The election will permit some 7,000 employees on the plant within the metropolis of Silao to decide on amongst 4 new unions in step with a Mexican labor reform aimed toward guaranteeing freedom of affiliation, a key tenet of a brand new commerce cope with the US and Canada.
A vote final yr on the collective contract was initially marred by irregularities together with destroyed ballots, prompting the U.S. authorities to demand ramped-up scrutiny in a proper criticism underneath the United States-Mexico-Canada Settlement (USMCA).
Employees ultimately voted to dissolve the contract, opening the door to elect a brand new union.
UAW President Ray Curry, whose group represents U.S. GM employees, stated labor inspectors must be instantly despatched to Silao to make sure the plant is “free from coercion and intimidation” forward of the
For many years, employees at corporations throughout Mexico have typically confronted intimidation tied to contentious union votes and efforts to arrange.
Curry’s remarks echoed comparable considerations in current days from U.S. labor federation AFL-CIO, Canadian union Unifor and Italian metalworkers union FIOM.
“We’re involved by the dearth of safety for employees’ rights contained in the GM plant,” the AFL-CIO stated this week.
GM didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
U.S. officers in September the GM criticism about final yr’s vote, however the U.S. Division of Labor and the workplace of the U.S. Commerce Consultant are nonetheless monitoring the problem, famous a report this week from a U.S. authorities labor committee.
Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon; Enhancing by Sandra Maler
:
