Across the United States and around the world, thousands of working people marched today to demand that Mexico’s government allow its workers to enjoy the freedom to form a union, to create safe workplaces and bargain for family-supporting wages. The marches are part of a global six-day week of action, which began Feb. 14, to call for an end to the intimidation and labor rights violations of workers in Mexico.

At a rally today in front of the Mexican Embassy in Washington, D.C., some 150 union members marched and chanted in English and Spanish: “Defend Trade Union Rights in Mexico” and “Workers Stand Side by Side.”

You can send a message of solidarity with Mexican workers here through LabourStart, the global workers’ news service.

Five years ago this week, 65 miners were killed in an explosion at the Pasta de Conchos mine in Mexico. An independent panel of health and safety experts investigated the explosion and concluded it was the result of negligence by the mine’s owners, Grupo Mexico. To date, no one has been held accountable for the deaths.

At the same time, the members of Los Mineros, the Mexican mine workers’ union, have been on strike at another Grupo Mexico mine since 2007 over health and safety and other contract violations. The Mexican government has used soldiers to break up the strike and done little to stop ongoing violence against workers.    

Joslyn Williams, president of the Metropolitan Washington [D.C.] Council, AFL-CIO, set the tone for the march and rally saying:

Welcome here today to mourn for those miners who died and to commit more than ever to fight like hell for the others.  

Daniel Kane, secretary-treasurer of the Mine Workers (UMWA), said the Mexican government is on the wrong side and should stand up for its people, not exploit them.

Annie Hill, executive vice president of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), told the crowd:

Around the world, the freedom of association is a basic human right. In Mexico, the government has denied workers the right to form and work within democratic labor unions that are free from government control and corruption.

UMWA President Cecil Roberts said it is wonderful for the American government to praise Middle Eastern citizens for standing for democracy. But our government needs to look a little closer to home at the exploitation of workers in Mexico. Noting that trade unions helped foster democracy and create the middle class in countries all over the world, Roberts called on Congress to look to unions to help create a better country.

The speakers  joined Flight Attendants-CWA President Veda Shook and Cathy Feingold, AFL-CIO international affairs director, to deliver a petition to a representative of the Mexican embassy. The petition called for Mexico to hold the  employer and government officials accountable for the Pasta de Conchos mine explosion and to abolish systemic violations of workers’ freedom of association, including employer-dominated “protection contracts” and interference in union elections.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said in a statement:

The Mexican government is right to demand respect for Mexican workers living and working in the United States, but it has an equal obligation to protect working families in Mexico and end its on-going assault on their basic rights to safety at work and to organize and participate in unions.