February 20, 2012

Week of Action for Mexican Labor Rights: Take Action + Webinar now online for Download

February 19-25, 2012 are global days of action for trade union rights in Mexico. Organized by the Trinational Solidarity Alliance, these days of action bring together students, union members and human rights activists to support workers' rights.

...Continued from home page

The National Lawyers Guild International Committee and the Trinational Solidarity Alliance held a webinar on February 17 about the days of action. The full recording of the webinar, featuring Lorraine Clewer, Director of the Solidarity Center office in Mexico City and Robin Alexander, Director of International Affairs for the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) is now available here for download:

http://nlginternational.org/audio/mexico-webinar.mp4

Call to Action

Last year more than 50,000 union members, students and human rights activists from some 40 countries participated in the Global Days of Action, launched on February 14 in Mexico and Australia simultaneously. For six days union members came together in an unprecedented show of solidarity. Thousands of letters were sent to the Mexican government, more than 50 meetings were held at Mexican Embassies throughout the world, and massive demonstrations throughout the week, inside and outside of Mexico, marked the strength and urgency of our message: STOP the attack on workers, we demand Trade Union Rights in Mexico, NOW!

The impact of our global actions were felt around the world. On February 24, just weeks after Global Action Days launched, political prisoner Juan Linares of the National Miners’ and Metalworkers’ Union of Mexico was released from jail after being unjustly imprisoned for more than two years. Building on our 2011 actions, independent unions in Mexico, together with their respective global union partners, have come together as a movement of force, challenging regressive labour legislation, Mexico’s scandalous "Protection Contract" system, and exposing corporate and political corruption.

Despite an escalation in action and outcry from unions in Mexico and at the international level, workers continue to be denied fundamental rights, independent unions face violent and political attack, and corporate impunity is at an all time high.

During the week of February 19-25, 2012, in memory of the Pasta de Conchos miners who died in a mine blast on February 19, 2006, members of the international labour movement are again asked to take action.

POSSIBLE ACTIONS INCLUDE:
• Request a meeting with Mexican Embassy/Consulate representatives to discuss trade union rights in Mexico.
• Organize a small delegation to deliver a statement or letter to your local Mexican Embassy/Consulate (see model letter linked to the right).
• Send a letter (see model letter linked) to your local Mexican Embassy/Consulate.
• Engage national policy makers to join meetings with Embassy representatives or to send
similar letters to the Government of Mexico.
• Publicize actions taken in defense of trade union rights in Mexico on your union’s website
and in its publications.

CAMPAIGN MATERIALS :
Print-ready posters and model letters can be downloaded from the IMF website at:
>www.imfmetal.org/Mexico2012
The materials include:
• Campaign Poster (A2) - available in English, French, Spanish and Russian. The original In
design artwork file is also available upon request if you wish to add logos or additional
information, if required please contact: unionrights@imfmetal.org
• Model letter: - available in English, Spanish, French, Russian and German.

Please be sure to keep us informed of all actions taken, send photos, letters, and reports to:
unionrights@imfmetal.org