NATIONAL TEACHERS' UNION SAYS GOVERNMENT ACTIONS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MEXICO 006391 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR DRL/AWH AND ILSCR, WHA/MEX AND PPC, USDOL FOR ILAB E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB ECON PGOV CASC KDEM PINR MX SUBJECT: NATIONAL TEACHERS' UNION SAYS GOVERNMENT ACTIONS FURTHER COMPLICATES SITUATION IN OAXACA REF: (A) MEXICO 6128 (B) MEXICO 5982 ¶1. Summary: The National TeachersQ, Union (SNTE) sharply criticized the GOM for negotiating directly with the striking teachers in Oaxaca. In SNTEQ,s view these negotiations, which bypass the national union, will only prolong OaxacaQ,s civil unrest and could potentially spread the problem to other parts of Mexico. SNTE also claims the negotiations once again change the civil unrest from a labor problem back into a political problem. Given the recent events in Oaxaca, (i.e. the introduction of federal forces, rioting in the center of the stateQ,s capital and the death of a US Citizen reporter) the GOM undoubtedly believed that it could not afford to ignore any opportunity that might ultimately resolve the long running civil unrest. This latest development, and the obvious annoyance of the SNTE, makes it all the more likely that OaxacaQ,s political/labor crisis will not be resolved before the December 1st, inauguration of MexicoQ,s incoming presidential administration. End Summary. -------------- Labor Crisis or Political Crisis -------------- ¶2. For some five plus months Mexican federal and state authorities have been unable to find a satisfactory resolution to the civil unrest in the southeastern state of Oaxaca. The unrest there, which begun as a rather unremarkable teachersQ, strike for higher wages, transformed itself into an increasingly complicated problem when excessive use of force by the stateQ,s governor prompted a number of civil society groups to join the protesting teachers on the barricades under the umbrella of the Oaxaca PeopleQ,s Popular Assembly (APPO). The teachers and APPO ultimately called for the resignation of OaxacaQ,s governor as a condition for ending the civil unrest thus transforming what had been a labor problem into a political crisis. ¶3. As the crisis continued the teachers and APPO refused to deal with the state authorities; it consequently fell to MexicoQ,s federal government to try and resolve the situation. One of the teachersQ, original demands was that Oaxaca be Q&rezonedQ8 for salary purposes. Mexico is divided into a three education zones and the zone in which they work determines teachersQ, salaries. Oaxaca -Q) one of MexicoQ,s poorest states -- is in a zone where the salaries are comparatively low. As a part of its efforts to resolve the situation in Oaxaca the federal government, specifically the Secretariats of Government (Interior) and Public Education, SIPDIS offered to rezone Oaxaca. The striking teachers rejected the offer as too little too late since the offer did not include the governorQ,s resignation. -------------- SNTE To The Rescue -------------- ¶4. When federal authorities failed to reach an agreement with the protestors in Oaxaca they changed their approach. Rather than continue the unproductive talks with the striking teachers and APPO, federal authorities turned instead to the national leadership of the SNTE and union leader, Elba Ester Gordillo. In turning to the national union the GOM made them an offer they could not refuse (REF B). The proposal of the federal government was an offer of $41.67 billon pesos (approximately USDOL 3.8 billion) over a six-year period to Q&rezoneQ8 all of Mexico. The rezoning of all of Mexico would mean guaranteed salary increases for teachers nationwide for the entire period of the new presidential administration scheduled to take office on December 1, 2006. ¶5. With the offer of national rezoning in hand, the SNTE indicated that it would be able to persuade the striking teachers to return to their classroom. Once the teachers were separated from APPO it was assumed the civil unrest would wind down. SNTE expected to be the hero of the day with the nation for solving a seemingly intractable problem and with its members for winning a pay raise for teachers nationwide. It didn't happen. -------------- -------------- The Unrest Continues and the GOM Again Changes Track -------------- -------------- ¶6. Despite the claim by SNTE that it could persuade the striking teachers to return to work, they soon discovered that money was no longer the only issue. At least 50,000 of MEXICO 00006391 002 OF 002 the 70,000 striking teachers refused to give up on the demand that OaxacaQ,s governor resign and the unrest continued. Moreover, the Oaxaca state section of the SNTE tends to be far more radicalized than the national union and does not fall in line behind the national union leadership. With the clock running out before the December 1 change of presidential administrations, the outgoing government of President Vicente Fox finally decided that time had come to use federal force once three people, including a UCS reporter, were killed in clashes between APPO and state authorities. ¶7. After a six-hour battle, the 4000 plus federal police sent into OaxacaQ,s capital would ultimately reclaim the capital cityQ,s streets and impose order (Ref A). However, at least eight protestors were hurt in the rioting. Moreover, although the striking teachers have agreed to return to class, press reports indicate that they still had significant (moral) support for APPO and its demand that the governor of Oaxaca resign. As it became clear that SNTE could not fully deliver the teachers, and in the wake of the escalated violence, the GOM again tried talking to the protestors. -------------- SNTE Left Out of The Loop -------------- ¶8. At this point it is not clear exactly when the GOM resumed direct contact with the Oaxaca teachers. For the most part the talks with the teachers had been rather low key. The talks were so low key that they did not include any representative from SNTE. The national union was not happy about being left out of the GOMQ,s talks with the Oaxaca teachers and publicly expressed its displeasure. ¶9. On November 5 the SNTE issued a 14-point communiquQ to express its displeasure over the direct talks between the GOM and the Oaxaca. The communiquQ sharply criticized federal authorities for bypassing the national union and engaging in Q&unilateral negotiationsQ8. For all practical purposes SNTE described the talks as illegal, claiming they were taking place outside the norms of MexicoQ,s labor laws. Moreover, the SNTE specifically accused Secretary of Government Carlos Abascal Carranza and Public Education Secretary Reyes Tamez Guerra of engaging in activities that would prolong the unrest in Oaxaca and that could very possibly spread the crisis to other parts of Mexico. SNTE also repeatedly underscored that, under Mexican law, only the national union could negotiate labor issues on behalf of teachers. Thus far there has been no public GOM reaction to the SNTE communiquQ. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶10. Given the recent in upsurge in violence in Oaxaca, it is not surprising that the GOM decided to negotiate directly with the striking teachers. At this point, federal authorities undoubtedly believed that they could not afford to ignore any opportunity that might ultimately resolve the long running civil unrest. The national unionQ,s response to the direct GOM/Oaxaca teachers negotiations was perhaps a bit strong, but not particularly surprising when viewed in context. When the SNTE agreed to the rezoning of all of Mexico (and obtained the GOMQ,s promise of substantial funds),it received considerable media attention. SNTEQ,s national leader, Esther Gordillo went to great lengths to appear as if she and the national union would be saving the day for the GOM in Oaxaca. When the GOM left SNTE out of the loop in its talks with the Oaxaca teachers, it undercut the national unionQ,s very public claims that it could solve the civil unrest in Oaxaca as a labor problem instead of as a political problem. This latest development, and the obvious annoyance of the SNTE, increase the likelihood that OaxacaQ,s political/labor crisis will not be resolved before the December 1, inauguration of MexicoQ,s incoming presidential administration Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity BASSETT