THE independent Mexican mining and metalworkers’ union Los Mineros has won a resounding victory after eight years of struggle against the yellow union CTM and a major iron castings company.

A new vote on union recognition was ordered at the Teksid Hierro de Mexico SA de CV plant located in Ciudad Frontera, Coahuila, where workers voted 642 votes in favour of Los Mineros and 172 voted (with two spoiled ballots) for the discredited CTM.

In 2018, a ballot was held where Los Mineros won the vote but the company and the CTM refused to recognise the result despite the Supreme Court of Justice in Mexico ratifying the election process. 

Pressure was brought by US unions and the US government under the US/Canada/Mexico Free Trade Agreement (USMCA) and its new Rapid Response Labour Mechanism to reballot the workforce. 

In June this year, 36 sacked workers were reinstated with their rights fully restored, and the company was forced to recognise the local executive committee and allow entry to the company site to union officials.

Los Mineros is now the official union at the site with full collective bargaining rights.

In a statement on the result Los Mineros said: “Once again, we won against the company, against the corrupt CTM and the STPS. The workers thank our president and general secretary, Napoleon Gomez Urrutia, who leads our union with dignity and he always looks out for the wellbeing, dignity and prosperity of workers and their families.”