MEXICAN GOVERNMENT REPRESSION OF MINEWORKERS' UNION

EDM number 1378 in 2007-08, proposed by Denis MacShane on 22/04/2008.
Categorised under the topics of Human rights, Industrial relations and Latin America.

That this House notes that Mexico's largest mining company, Grupo Mexico, and the Mexican government have systematically and repeatedly violated Mexican law and international standards in an attempt to crush the National Miners' and Metalworkers' Union of Mexico (SNTMMSRM), including illegally removing Napoleon Gomex Urrutia, SNTMMSRM's General Secretary, from office and replacing him with a government appointee; further notes that the Mexican government perverted its legal system and levelled charges of corruption and embezzlement against Gomez; further notes that when a number of independent inquiries into these actions revealed the government has used falsified documents, concealed evidence and coerced officials to issue baseless arrests warrants against Gomez, the Mexican government and Grupo Mexico worked together to seek to destroy the union by granting overnight recognition to a pro-company union, holding election in which workers were forced at gunpoint to join the new union and vote for approved candidates; condemns Grupo Mexico and the Mexican government for using the Army and Federal Police to break SNTMMRSM strikes, kill workers and arrest union leaders; believes the existence of free and independent trade unions is essential to the functioning of any democracy; and therefore calls upon the Government to make representations to the Mexican government to end its attacks on SNTMMRSM and Gomez, release all union funds illegally seized, lift all charges pending against Gomez and other SNTMMRSM members, prosecute those responsible for the illegal pursuit of Gomez and investigate Grupo Mexico's involvement in the recent murder of SNTMMRSM member Reinaldo Hernandez Gonzales and the detention and torture of 20 of the union's members in Nacozari, Sonara state.

This motion has been signed by a total of 63 MPs, 2 of these signatures have been withdrawn.