-Caveat Lector- Message http://www.egroups.com/list/chiapas-l/?start=8564 > > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > Date: Sat, 5 Dec 1998 02:32:54 -0600 > From: Erik C. Toren <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Fw: Part 2, Mex Labor News, Dec. 2 > > > > PART 2 MEXICAN LABOR NEWS AND ANALYSIS, BE SURE YOU HAVE PART 1 > > ### > > EL BARZON, THE DEBTORS' ORGANIZATION > LAUNCHES NEW WAVE OF PROTESTS OVER DEBT, TAXES, INFLATION > > El Barzon, the debtors' organization, launched a new wave of > protests in many states of Mexico in November. El Barzon members, > farmers, businessmen, peasants, workers and other citizens, > blockaded government offices and seized banks buildings from the > southern most state of Chiapas to Nuevo Leon on the northern > border. > > The group's spokespersons said the demonstrations were > called to protest against the government's problem to resolve the > widespread problem of debt, against higher taxes, and against the > rising cost of living. Protests demonstrations took place in > Mexico City and in the state of Chiapas, Veracruz, Michoacan, > Morelos, Hidalgo, Puebla and Nuevo Leon. > > In Mexico City, the barzonistas blockaded government > buildings to protest increases in the cost of water, while in > other cities the debtors blockaded or seized Bancomer and Banamex > bank buildings. In some cities El Barzon or other debtors > organizations were joined by leaders of the National Action Party > (PAN), while in other areas it was the Party of the Democratic > Revolution (PRD) which joined with the debtors. > > In Xalapa, Veracruz it was the PAN which joined El Barzon in > symbolically closing a bank. But in Tapachula, Chiapas, it was > PRD members who joined el Barzon and marched by the hundreds > through the city streets to protest against increases in the cost > of public utilities and services. > > ### > > BEYOND COMPANY UNIONISM, SAYS "PROCESO," THE CNT MAKES > NO DEMANDS, CALLS NO STRIKES, AND SERVES THE BOSS > > Mexico has a new unionism without demands, without strikes, > and completely at the service of the boss, according to the > country's most important political magazine PROCESO. > > Salvador Corro, author of "The New Unionism," ["El nuevo > sindicalismo...] in the November 22, 1998 issue of PROCESO, says > that the most important new labor organization may be the > National Coordinating Committee of Workers (Coordinadora Nacional > de Trabajadores or CNT) headed by Ramon Gamez Martinez. [Note > that the acronym CNT is used by other labor federations and > unions as well.] The CNT represents a dangerous new trend in > Mexican unionism which even goes beyond the "sindicatos blancos" > or company unions which have existed in the past. > > The CNT represents more than 200,000 workers in several > affiliated unions with some 2,000 collective bargaining > agreements. With its original foothold in the airline industry, > the CNT has subsequently expanded to service businesses, > laboratories, import-export firms, movie theaters, supermarkets, > warehouses, and other industries. > > The CNT typically negotiates union contracts which put all > authority in the hands of the employer, and provide low wages and > few benefits to workers. Often workers do not know that they are > represented by the CNT, nor that they have a union contract. > > ### > > [While Mexican Labor News and Analysis is primarily a labor > oriented news bulletin, we think it essential to report from time > to time on other significant social issues and social movements. > Certainly AIDS affects all social classes, and organized labor > should support educational and public health efforts to eradicate > the disease and alleviate those who suffer from it. We are happy > therefore to present the following article. - Ed.] > > AIDS STILL ON THE RISE IN MEXICO > AS NATION OBSERVES AIDS AWARENESS DAY > > by Peter Gellert > > On December 1, Mexico marked AIDS awareness day with > activities nationwide. > > Thus far Mexico has registered more than 37,000 cases of the > disease, but the number of carriers of HIV is estimated to be > upwards of a quarter of a million. That is, for every reported > case, there are four carriers. > > In Mexico, high AIDS rates are found in states where a > sizable percentage of the population migrates to the United > States in search of seasonal or permanent work. About 47 percent > of those with the disease are poor. In addition, growth of aids > has been significant in rural areas. > > As opposed to tendencies in the developed countries, in the > case of Mexico, almost all cases correspond to sexual contact, > since intravenous drug use is virtually unknown in the country > and those who had contracted AIDS from tainted blood -most of > them poor slum dwellers who sold their blood for a living- have > lost since died. According to Francisco Lagunes, of the NGO AMAC, > 80 percent of cases correspond to homosexual or bi-sexual men > (even though many do not identify as such). > > While in the industrialized countries, new drug cocktails > have dramatically cut mortality rates, in Mexico the progress has > been much more modest. The average life span of an AIDS patient > from the onset of the disease to death has only been increased > from the previous nine to 12 months to the current 20 months. > > Non-government organizations involved in AIDS awareness > centered their activities the first week of December on public > educational efforts and demands for more funding. > > It is estimated that half of those in Mexico who are HIV > positive are not enrolled in the national health system, and > therefore have no access to otherwise costly medications. > > For those without access to the health system, medicines > cost 750 dollars a month, which puts them beyond the reach of the > overwhelming majority of Mexicans who earn a fraction of this > amount. > > Another common complaint is the absence of specialized > services. > > On December 1, Health Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente > announced that the government was contributing 3 million dollars > to FONASIDA, the National Fund for the Fight against AIDS, to be > earmarked for treating children and pregnant women afflicted with > the illness. At the same time, he acknowledged that the resources > budgeted to fight and treat aids are insufficient to contain its > spread. > > Many independent activists such as Lagunes criticize > FONASIDA as an attempt by authorities to pass responsibility for > providing health care and medicines from the national health > system to the foundation. Only 3 percent of those who need the > medicines receive them from Fonasida, Lagunes told MLNA. > > AIDS groups are also involved in efforts to combat > discrimination against those with HIV or AIDS in the workplace. > While an official government norm adopted in 1995 prohibits > mandatory testing, it is widely violated like most other laws > and norms. > > Another major focus of the AIDS organizations is to > publicize and distribute condoms. This campaign has run into > virulent opposition from the Pro-Life organization and the > Catholic Church, which contend that condoms are unsafe and that > sexual abstinence is the solution. > > Both non-governmental organizations and Mexican government > specialists and authorities publicly reject these arguments as > scientifically inaccurate. Thus far, the Mexican government has > refused to bend to pressure. > > A poll conducted by Durex Condoms indicated that 56 percent > of Mexicans have not modified their sexual conduct in light of > the threat of AIDS. Of the 44 percent who have, most have reduced > the number of sexual partners or are more careful in their > selection, while only 14 percent use condoms, half of them only > occasionally. > ### > > AUTHENTIC WORKERS FRONT (FAT) WORKERS RESISTANCE > #152 November 1998 Mexico > ENGLISH SUMMARY > > [English translation by Don Sherman.] > > Basic Data on the Reality of Employment and Wages in Mexico > > Mexico today is facing a growing crisis in employment and > wages. The official employment statistics of the Mexican > government do not reflect the increasing number of Mexicans who > are currently effectively unemployed. > > It is estimated that only one-third of the economically > active population is employed in the formal sector of the > economy. The other two-thirds of Mexican workers because they are > part of the informal sector of the economy do not receive social > benefits such as hospitalization, vacations, retirement benefits, > etc. > > In addition, the average minimum wage has fallen 75% since > the administration of President Lopez Portillo and the beginning > of the neoliberal transition of the national economy. Further, > real wages for manufacturing jobs have fallen 19% during the > period that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has > been in effect. > > While real wages have fallen for Mexican workers, employment > also has dropped, particularly in the export sector where so > much investment has been made by foreign companies. The Mexican > neoliberal model links employment growth with foreign investment. > However as foreign investment has grown 27.69% in the third > quarter of 1998, employment has fallen 2.4%. > > Why is exporting manufacturing employment falling while > foreign investment is rapidly increasing in this sector of the > economy? > > That question can be answered in several ways. First, > Mexican investment in the exporting sector of the economy has > fallen in contrast to foreign investment. Only 2.68% of the total > investment in this sector is Mexican, and since the suppliers for > the most part are foreigners there is no indirect employment > particularly generated by Mexican investments. At the same time > Mexican manufacturing production in this sector of the economy > has continually decreased. In 1983, when the neoliberal model > initially began to dominate in the Mexican economy, for each peso > that we exported in terms of manufacturing, 91 centavos were > Mexican. In 1996 this percentage decreased to only 37%. > > As we see, real wages and employment in the export > manufacturing sector have fallen since 1993 as foreign investment > steadily increases. This foreign investment is based in part on > the superexploitation of workers. The official government line is > that there will be an increase in wages with an increase in > productivity. But statistics show just the opposite. During the > period covered by NAFTA up until June 1998, worker productivity > has increased 36.1%. Nevertheless, the medium real wages have > fallen 19.3%. > > The conclusion is that the Mexican economic growth in the > export sector, which is fundamentally based in manufacturing, has > resulted in a decrease in employment, especially in the area of > Mexican suppliers, and a decrease in real wages. Therefore the > question we need to ask is how can we guarantee workers the right > to food, housing, etc. in an economic model where only foreign > investment is increasing? > > The struggle to achieve the basic rights for food, shelter > and quality of life for the Mexican people involves the struggle > for democracy as well as the power of citizens to define the > strategy and the economic direction for the country. > > Women�s Rights in the Discussion of Federal Labor Law Reform > > When the Federal Labor Law (LFT) was first enacted in 1931 > women represented only 10 to 12% of the workforce, and their > needs and aspirations were not taken into account. Today that > percentage has increased to 40%, and the law must now change to > end sexual discrimination that the 1931 legislation permitted. > For example, the 1931 labor law statue allowed companies to fire > women workers on the basis of their marriage status. > > We demand, then, a reform in the LFT in the following ways: > 1) The ratification of agreement 156 on family responsibilities, > 2) No to termination of employment because of pregnancy, 3) > punishment for sexual harassment, 4) Equal pay for equal work. > > The FAT at Otis > > To Learn more about the Authentic Labor Front (FAT) Union at > Otis Elevator Company Recently, Felipe Gonz�lez, Franco, general > secretary of the union of workers at Otis Elevator Company was > interviewed by our staff. According to Felipe, the company > arrived in Mexico in 1900, but it wasn't until 1938 that the > Mexican Otis workers organized themselves into a union over poor > working conditions, accidents and low wages. In 1941 the union > was formally integrated with more than 400 workers throughout the > country. Felipe is 36 years old and has worked more than half his > life for Otis. > > In his work for the union Felipe has been active in many > areas and his present position of general secretary will end in > 2002. As a union leader, Felipe considers the true challenges for > workers to confront in the future to be in the area of > productivity, total quality, flexibility, and reform of the > Federal Labor Law. He added that the change of the Social > Security law concern him since privatization will result in more > unemployment and the loss of guaranteed social rights. In respect > to Fobaproa, Felipe believes that it was a grave error to charge > a bank debt to the public. As Felipe says how many jobs, homes, > highways, schools and hospitals could be built with that money > that will not be used to pay bank debts. > > UNT Forum On the State of Mexican Social, > Economic and Democratic Reform > > On August 21, 1998 a UNT forum on the State of Mexican > Social, Economic and Democratic Reform was convened. Our staff > participated in the discussions on Labor reform and the following > are our conclusions from that meeting.: > > Currently, we are facing a situation of an opening and an > integration of regional economic blocks that are profoundly > changing Mexico. Additionally, with deregulation and competition > in diverse economic sectors there has been increased pressure to > reduce labor costs on behalf of the new transnational > corporations. In this age of globalization, there has been a > movement toward labor restructuring and increased labor > productivity in the face new technologies and opportunities. > > We are therefore in the midst of a transformation of the > state that implies a reduction of the participation of the state > in the economy. The impulse for this change comes from multi- > national companies and the repercussions of this change have been > felt by the increase in unemployment, the proletarianization of > the middle class in Mexico and the impoverishment of workers in > general. > > Because of this transformation and its effects on Mexican > society, we need to provide a social and democratic content to > the public policy discussions. Workers are going to have to > consolidate and advance these discussions in order to arrive at > authentic social agreements that will benefit all of Mexican > society. > > Of course to the have the power to make and encourage public > reforms, labor has to take the political initiative. Labor also > has to eliminate the employer- and state-controlled unions that > have long been supported by the Mexican government. Finally, > there needs to be a defense of the historic gains of Mexican > workers. We have to defend and identify those principles of labor > rights that can not be reduced in any way by any change in > Mexican labor law. To retain these fundamental labor rights it > might be necessary to have a national strike. > > In conclusion the highest national priority is to define a > different labor regime through the establishment of a new social > pact whose principle objectives would be: 1) To increase > productivity, 2) To increase wages, 3) To promote employment, 4) > To encourage labor and union democratization 5) and To promote > modernization of companies. > > ### > > SOCIAL STATISTICS > Disabilities > > Violent assaults and workplace accidents are the two > greatest causes of disabilities in Mexico, according to the > general director of the Mexican government's National System for > the Integral Development of the Family. (DIF). (Karina Aviles, > "Asaltos y accidentes laborales, primeras causas de > discapacidad," LA JORNADA, December 1, 1998.) > > Youth Unemployment > > The political economy of the Mexican government has caused > at left at least 320,000 young people without employment in the > formal economy in Mexico City, according to Saul Escobar, the > subsecretary of Labor and Social Welfare of the Government of the > Federal District. (Juan Antonio Zuniga M., "Desempleados, al > menos 320 mil jovenes," LA JORNADA, November 29, 1998.) > > Fall in the Growth Rate of Manufacturing Employment > > The growth rate of manufacturing jobs has fallen from 3.3 > percent for the period from January to September to only 2.8 > percent in the month September, according to Mexico's National > Institute of Statistics (INEGI). ("Se Desacelera el Empleo en la > Manufactura; Crecio 2.8% en Septiembre," EXCELSIOR, November 28, > 1998.) > > Mexico Creates Fewer New Jobs than Expected > > Mexico created only 700,000 new jobs in 1998, far fewer than > then one million three hundred thousand predicted by the > government less than a year ago, according to CANACINTRA, the > National Chamber of the Manufacturing Industry. (Norberto Lopez > Zuniga, "Al Cierre de 1998 Solo 700 mil Personas se Habran > Incorporado al Mercado Laboral," EXCELSIOR 27 November 1998.) > > Underground Economy Now Employs 21 Million Mexicans > > Some 21 million Mexicans labor in the informal economy > without union benefits or access to the government medical > system, according to the Mexican Institute of Statistics (INEGI). > (Roberto Gonzalez Amador, "La economia informal emplea a 21 > milliones de mexicanos," LA JORNADA November 25, 1998.) > > Workers Real Wages Fall > > A study by the National Action Party (PAN)'s labor issues > group in the Mexican House of Representatives states that between > 1986 and today Mexicans workers have lost 70 percent of their > purchasing power. (Fabiola Martinez, "A la baja, el poder > adquisitivo de los trabjadores: AN," LA JORNADA, November 25, > 1998.) > > END MEXICAN LABOR NEWS AND ANALYSIS, VOL. 3, NO. 21, DEC. 2, 1998 ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. 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