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articipating Organisations:Supporting Organisations:

Solidarity with

Mexican Electrician

Workers four year struggle

Saturday October 10 2009

In an attempt to crush the Mexican Electricians Union

(SME), Mexicos oldest democratic Union, the federal

government used more than 5,000 police and army to

seize the generating plants and other installations of the

state-owned Luz y Fuerza del Centro (LyFC) electrical

power company. An hour later then President Felipe

Caldern used an executive order to shut down the

utility Company sacking the entire 44,000 workforce.

The draconian measure also affected another 20,000

retired electrical workers. Since that day the Unionsleaders have been imprisoned and electricity jobs

have been outsourced to unskilled workers resulting

in record levels of accidents.

Latest developments

While just over half the workforce has taken

settlements SME continues to seek reinstatement of

16,599 members who are standing strong, refusing

to accept the legality of their sackings. The workers

resistance and their Unions struggle for justice has

become a symbol of hope for workers throughout

the world as they fight back against privatisation and

anti- union governments. However in a blow to the

campaign earlier this year the Mexican Supreme Court

controversially stated that even though the workers

were unfairly dismissed, because the company was

decentralised it meant there was no obligation to

reemploy them. Despite the setback the workers and

their Union continue their struggle, and they need our

help.

A motion calling for simultaneous Trade Union

Demonstrations at Mexican Embassys around the world

was unanimously adopted at the first International Congress

of Global Power Trade Unions held earlier this month. The

motion adopted by the Congress reads as follows:

The Global Power Trade Union Congress wishes to express

its strong support for the Mexican Electricians Union (SME)

in their heroic struggle for jobs and collective bargaining.

We call on the Mexican Government to find an immediatesolution to their demands. In light of the current state of

play in the negotiations between the Mexican Government

and the SME, the conflict should not be allowed to continue

in detriment to thousands of workers and their families. Our

organisations will closely follow any developments and will

not hesitate to take the necessary actions to support our

brothers and sisters in the Mexican Electricians Union. The

17th October will be a global day of action and each Union

commits to protesting through whatever means at their

disposal including protest demonstrations in front of the

Mexican Embassies in our respective Countries to support

the Mexican Electricians Union, where possible.

CANBERRADAY OF ACTION

Mexican Embassy

14 Perth Avenue Yarralumla

Canberra Australia

12 noon start

GLOBALPOWERTRADE

UNIONS

17th October 2013

Solidarity Motion

Authorised by Allen Hicks

National Secretary, Electrial

Trades Union Australia

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