Normally the two countries reach an agreement but this time this has not been the case, which is why the government of President Joe Biden requested the formation of a panel of the Rapid Response Labor Mechanism.
“The United States has determined that it is appropriate to request a panel to verify whether Mexican labor laws are complied with at the facility and whether a denial of rights has occurred,” reports the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR, for its acronym in Spanish). in English) in a statement.
Washington states that on May 15 it received a complaint from the largest labor union in the United States and Canada (the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations), the United Steelworkers union, and the National Union of Mine, Metal, Steel, and Industrial Workers. Similar from the Mexican Republic, known as Los Mineros.
They complain that the company violated the miners’ right to represent workers in collective bargaining and that it hired workers to replace striking employees, despite the fact that Mexican law prohibits it.
“Although we are always open to working with Mexico to find a solution, our priority is to obtain meaningful results for workers,” said the US trade representative, Katherine Tai, quoted in the statement.
In the same note, the deputy assistant secretary for international affairs, Thea Lee, insists that Washington hopes to “work closely with the Mexican government to resolve this complex matter.”
Under specific circumstances, the Labor Rapid Response Mechanism allows Washington to take enforcement action when a company from Mexico that exports to the United States violates the country’s freedom of association and collective bargaining laws.