The Mexican people respond to union busting with national strike
On the night of October 11, six thousand soldiers and militarized police took over the offices of Luz y Fuerza del Centro, the State owned corporation that provides power to Mexico City and some states in Central Mexico; the entity was liquidated by an executive order issued by Mexico′s president Felipe Calderón. Since then, the corporate media has been slandering the workers and particularly their union, the Mexican electrical Trade Union SME (Sindicato Mexicano de Electricistas), one of the most militant and anti-neoliberal unions, which has been fighting against the government’s attempts to privatise the energy industry. The occupation of the buildings prior to announcing the closure was an illegal preventative strike, with the objective of preventing industrial action or any other form of protest on behalf of the sacked workers.
With the closure of the entity 44 thousand employers lost their jobs and 12 thousand retired workers saw their pensions disappear by “presidential decree”, in the context of massive unemployment in Mexico (reaching officially three million unemployed and 12 million in the informal economy). The government argued that LyFC was inefficient and was too expensive to support, however, the reality is that the company was shut down to destroy its union SME. This government action is also anti-constitutional, as this violated the labour law and the Mexican constitution, which declares that the State has the exclusive right to produce and provide electrical service.It is now well known that the main reason for the closure of the company is the interest in privatising the energy industry (at the moment, private companies run 40% of the production of energy for the country). The privatisation of such strategic industry has been a demand of the foreign financial institutions to fulfil the neoliberal agenda imposed on Mexico and accepted by the conservative Mexican ruling class. The SME has been a thorn in the side of the private companies and the complacent government.
The fact that the State company could provide valuable high-tech service of optical fibre meant that national and foreign communications companies were interested in closing down Luz Y Fuerza so as to gain this lucrative concession to provide the service. Calderón was the Energy Minster of the previous government, and knows perfectly well the potential of the industry. The union was an obstacle to allow private technology to profit from a business worth over six billion US dollars.
Despite the attacks on the workers and their union, led by the Labour and Treasury Ministries and the corporate media outlets, resistance in Mexico is growing. The SME has been fighting on the legal front appealing for legal protection against the illegal sacking of workers and have initiated a law suit to demonstrate that the dissolution of the Company violates the Mexican Constitution. On Thursday the 5th, some of the unionists symbolically took over their offices and put up red and black flags, a traditional Mexican symbol of striking workers. A judged has declared (on November 7) the legal protection for workers. Brigades of workers, students and people′s organisations have been distributing information at bus stops, roads, their workplaces and neighbourhoods, in an attempt to tell people about the movement and the union, whose struggles are being harassed and defamed by the media.
On November 5th, in a very well organised general assembly, it was decided to place black and red flags in all the buildings of the now extinct Luz y Fuerza. Dozens of unions and organizations attended and agreed on a National Strike for the 11th of the month. Road blockages, information sessions, leafleting, coordinated massive absenteeism from work and strikes when possible, are part of the actions called for the day of action. The Telephone workers will stop the administrative services for the day, several other unions will help blocking roads and striking on their workplaces. Other unions and political parties will provide economic assistance to the SME.
The union is asking for national and international solidarity, organising protests and information sessions, bringing representatives or sending economic support for the struggle.
The November 5th assembly, called initially to support the struggle of the electricians, now embodies the discontent of thousands of workers and millions of citizens, left out of the national “priorities” determined by the Federal government. A National Plan of Action will be set after evaluating the results of the National Strike on the 11th of November. In Mexico, there has not been a national strike in many years.
You can send your support to the union by contacting the union by email: sinmexel@sme.org.mx, contacting the Foreign Relations secretary Fernando Amezcua. All your support is welcomed.
