CLC Supports Week of Action for Mexican Workers

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Feb. 14, 2011) - The Canadian Labour Congress is supporting an international week of action in defence of labour and human rights in Mexico, says CLC president Ken Georgetti.

"We are expressing our concern about countless violations of the fundamental human rights of Mexican workers, and we demand that the Mexican government comply with its own laws on human and labour rights," Georgetti says. 

In Canada, there will be demonstrations in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver between February 14th-17th. They coincide with the fifth anniversary of the death of 65 workers in an explosion in northern Mexico. Labour leaders there accused the government of allowing the company to seal the mine rather than continuing recovery efforts for the miners. 

Georgetti says, "Over the past five years, we have seen a systematic escalation in the violations of the rights of Mexican workers. These include everything from the placing of hired thugs and government security forces in the workplace, to workers being prevented from democratically choosing their leaders, to the existence of grave violations of health and safety regulations."

Georgetti says the CLC and its affiliated unions are joining Mexican unions in demanding that the government work jointly with the country's independent trade unions to take measures that will end the repression of workers and restore their fundamental rights to freedom of association. 

The rally in Ottawa will occur on Tuesday, February 15th at the Mexican Embassy at 45 O'Connor Street at 3:00 p.m. CLC officers and the heads of a number of Canadian unions will attend. 

The Canadian Labour Congress, the national voice of the labour movement, represents 3.2 million Canadian workers. The CLC brings together Canada's national and international unions along with the provincial and territorial federations of labour and 130 district labour councils. Web site: www.canadianlabour.ca