The US presents two labor complaints within the framework of the T-MEC

The United States government requested two separate investigations from Mexico under the rapid response labor mechanism of the T-MEC, due to the denial of rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

The first case is against the plant in Puebla of the company Mondelez, manufacturer of chocolates, sweets and other products. The review request arises after a complaint made on November 12 by the General Union of Mexico, in accordance with the Interinstitutional Labor Oversight and Compliance Committee (ILC), which is co-chaired by the United States Trade Representative and the Secretary of Labor.

In its lawsuit against the manufacturer of brands such as Oreo and Ritz cookies, Toblerone, Halls and Philadelphia chocolate, among other products, the independent Mexican union alleged continuous denials of rights to the company’s workers.

It denounced that Mondelez and the union holding the collective contract “have violated the rights of the workers by interfering in union activity and retaliating against them due to their attempts to organize an independent union in the facilities, for which they resort to threats, denial of access to the facilities, discriminatory job reassignments, dismissals and layoffs.”

In this case, the US Trade Representative office suspended the settlement of unpaid receipts of merchandise at Mondelez facilities.

another case

Regarding the floating hotel, operated by Bernhard Schulte México LTD and PMI North America, owner of two flotel-type vessels and a subsidiary of Pemex, the union the Mexican Order of Maritime and Port Professionals, Similar and Related, denounced the interference in union activity, preventing the strike, threatening and intimidating the workers during a forced disembarkation of the hotel vessels, and illegally dismissing and replacing the striking workers.

The International Law Commission determined that in both cases “there is sufficient and credible evidence of a violation of rights that allows the application of compliance mechanisms in good faith.” These review requests under the T-MEC are numbers 44 and 45, and Mexico has 10 days to accept the review and, if so, 45 days from yesterday to investigate the complaints and present its conclusions.