Supporting Freedom of Association in Mexico

Employer Guidance on Freedom of Association in Mexico (2024)

Mexico’s May 2019 labour justice reform opened the door to a new era in labour relations. To encourage greater understanding and respect for the reformed Federal Labour Law, the Mexico Committee of the Americas Group has prepared an Employer Guidance tool on Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining. To support this work, MSN published a summary of the most significant rights and obligations regarding freedom of association and collective bargaining under Mexican labour law, the US-Canada-Mexico tri-national trade agreement and international conventions.

Publications on Mexico’s ongoing constitutional reform to the labour justice system

MSN has been working with our allies in Mexico to monitor developments related to the Mexican government’s February 2017 Constitutional Reform to the labour justice system and to encourage discussion and debate about the reforms and their implementation, as well as the implications they have for workers and employers.

Will CBA legitimation votes eliminate protection contracts?

Photo: Teksid Hierro workers celebrate union victory (IndustriALL).

Four years after the launch of Mexico’s labour justice reform, legitimation votes on all existing collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) were to be completed by May 1, 2023. Mexico’s labour authorities extended that deadline to July 31, while requiring that unions register the dates of such votes by May 1. If legitimation votes have not been carried out or programed by May 1, or are programed but are not held before July 31, the CBA is terminated.

Mexico: New Voting Rights of Workers and Obligations of Employers

As part of MSN’s Catching Up on the Labour Reform series, MSN has published “New Voting Rights of Workers and Obligations of Employers under Reformed Federal Labour Law (LFT).”

The 5-page publication provides a brief description of the rights of workers and obligations of employers in various votes on collective bargaining agreements, union leaders, and union representation, as well as the rights of workers in minority unions.

Common Wage Violations in Mexico’s Garment Industry (December 2020)

MSN Briefing Paper prepared for the Mexico Committee of the Americas Group

Common Wage Violations in Mexico’s Garment Industry provides guidance to international brands and manufacturers sourcing and producing apparel products in Mexico on wage violations that are widespread in the sector and how to effectively address them.

Do Mexico’s labour law reforms live up to commitments in USMCA?

On May 1, 2019, Mexico published its long-awaited reformed Federal Labour Law, which the Morena government promises will guarantee the right of workers to be represented by a union of their free choice and to have an active role in collective bargaining.

The lack of freedom of association in Mexico has been a major obstacle in negotiations for a revised North American Free Trade Agreement (now known as USMCA or T-MEC).

Will Mexico's new government make advances on labour justice? (September 2018)

On July 1, 2018, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (known by his initials AMLO) and his party, National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), won an overwhelming electoral victory that creates a new political context for the implementation of the 2017 Constitutional Reform to Mexico’s labour justice system.

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