Warsaw, February 15, 2011
Honorable C. Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa President of The United States of Mexico c/o Ambassador Raphael Steger Cataño Permanent Representative of Mexico in Poland
Labor rights in Mexico Dear Mr President, National Secretariat of Mine and Energy Worker’s Union is highly concerned about the situation in Mexico. We not only join the Mexican people but also we call on the government of Mexico to take actions in order to assert the freedom of association, as well as ensure other labor rights. It is now five years since 65 miners were killed in the February 19, 2006 explosion at the Grupo México Pasta de Conchos coal mine. To this day, bereaved families await proper compensation and recovery of the bodies for funeral. This information has been spread around the world. Such a situation is unbelievable in the nowadays world of justice. Those who are guilty of the diasaster must take the responsibility of their deeds. Otherwise, the workers from the United States of Mexico would still feel insecure and endangered. The longer the situation would last, the more people will suffer and the worse position on the international stage Mexico would have. Beyond dispute is the fact, that actions as well as lack of proper activities of the Mexican Government are harmful not only to every single citizen, but also to the whole country. We, National Secretariat of Mine and Energy Worker’s Union oppose to the persecution of independent trade unions and violation of the workers’ rights.
We call and ask for action (after ICEM organisation) to: 1. Hold employer and government officials accountable for the Pasta de Conchos mine explosion that killed 65 miners on February 19, 2006 2. Abolish systematic violations of workers’ freedom of association including employer dominated “protection contracts and interference in union elections 3. End the use of force- by the state or private parties- to repress workers’ legitimate demands for democratic unions, better wages and working conditions, and good health and safety conditions 4. End the campaign of political persecution against the Mexican Miners’ and Metalworkers’ Union (SNTMMSRM) and the Mexican Electrical Workers’ Union (SME).
We express our hopes that the Global Days of Action on Workers’ Rights in Mexico will bring the expected effects and the condition of labor rights in the United States of Mexico will improve very soon.
Sincerely, The President of National Secretariat of Mine and Energy Worker’s Union NSZZ Solidarność Kazimierz Grajcarek