Published: 21 Jun 2010
From the World Cup in South Africa to Canberra and Vancouver union protest police raid on striking Mexican miners
Australian workers will protest outside the Mexican Embassy tomorrow against the Government using force to break a 3 year strike at Grupo Mexico's Cananea copper mine on June 6. The Govt sent in a couple thousand heavily armed federal riot police to break the Los Mineros strike using tear gas. Police also assaulted the union office and severely injured two striking workers.
The Australian protest is part of worldwide demonstrations against the Mexican Government which kicked off last week at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and will culminate at the the International Trade Union Confederation congress in Vancouver, Canada, where ACTU President Sharan Burrow will take over as ITUC general secretary this week.
SNTMMSRM members at three Grupo Mexico mines (Cananea, Taxco and Sombrerete) have been on strike since July 30, 2007 to protest unsafe working conditions. Grupo Mexico has three times asked the Federal Labor Board to declare the strike illegal. The Board did so each time, and each time it was reversed by the courts. The striking workers continued to occupy the mine and are committed to keeping control of it until a fair resolution of the strike is reached.
The Mining and Maritime Initiative has campaigned on behalf of the Mexican miners, with further protests expected during the International Transport Workers' Federation Congress in Mexico City in August.
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| by David Bacon, The Nation, AgenceGlobal |
