Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07MEXICO413
2007-01-26 22:52:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Mexico
Cable title:  

PARTY POLITICS DIVIDE LABOR MOVEMENT "UNITY" OVER

Tags:  ELAB ECON SOCI PINR PGOV MX 
pdf how-to read a cable
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ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 262252Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5119
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INFO RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MEXICO 000413 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR DRL/AWH AND ILCSR, WHA/MEX AND PPC, USDOL FOR ILAB

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB ECON SOCI PINR PGOV MX
SUBJECT: PARTY POLITICS DIVIDE LABOR MOVEMENT "UNITY" OVER
PRICE INCREASES

REF: MEXICO 0391

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MEXICO 000413

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR DRL/AWH AND ILCSR, WHA/MEX AND PPC, USDOL FOR ILAB

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB ECON SOCI PINR PGOV MX
SUBJECT: PARTY POLITICS DIVIDE LABOR MOVEMENT "UNITY" OVER
PRICE INCREASES

REF: MEXICO 0391


1. SUMMARY: The successful organization of Mexican labor
movement participation in a January 31 st, mega-march to
protest price increases in basic food items now appears very
much in doubt. The unified image labor had hoped to project
in demonstrating against price increases was shattered when
it became known that some labor supporters of failed PRD
presidential candidate, Manual Andres Lopez Obrador,
attempted to give him a prominent role in the march. Unions
associated with the PRD political party at first tried to
promote Lopez Obrador as a leading figure in the scheduled
mega-march but then backtracked claiming he would just be
another participant. However, even with a reduced role, the
labor unions associated with the PRI, Mexico,s other large
opposition political party, are still threatening to pull out
of the mega-march over the question of Lopez Obrador,s
participation. This division over party politics on an issue
--opposition to price increases-- that had unified the
spectrum of Mexico,s labor unions may be an indication of
the difficulties the movement will face in coming together to
promote reforms all believe would benefit the average Mexican
worker. END SUMMARY

--------------
LABOR UNIONS UNITE TO UNION MEGA-MARCH
--------------


2. On January 22, nearly the entire spectrum of Mexico,s
organized labor movement (over 4 million members) announced
plans to participate in a mega-march being organized to
protest recent price increases in such basic food items as
tortillas, eggs and milk. The announcement of a unified
labor movement participation in the mega-march was made by
Francisco Hernandez Juarez, one of the leaders of the
association of labor organizations that form the National
Workers Union (UNT) According to Hernandez, the recent wave
of price increases in basic food items had unified the
various elements of Mexico,s labor movement and prompted
them to form a common front to demand action by recently
inaugurated Mexican President Felipe Calderon and his

National Action Party (PAN) government. The scheduled date
of the mega-march is January 31.


3. The intent of the mega-march was to bring together a
broad range of labor and various other social organizations.
These organizations were to come together to protest/demand:
price controls on a basket of 30 basic food items; an
emergency salary increase for workers below a particular wage
range; and a meeting with the GOM,s Secretary of Labor and
President Calderon to discuss solutions to the economic
problems facing workers and the general Mexican public.


4. When first announced on 1/22, the mega-march reportedly
included over 150 union, peasant/farmer and social
organizations. Among the unions scheduled to participate, in
addition to the UNT, were such other national organizations
as the Congress of Labor (CT),the Mexican Workers
Confederation (CTM),the Union of Mexican Electrical workers
(SME),the Mexican Railway Workers Union (STFRM) and the
Revolutionary Confederation of Workers and Peasants (CROC).
During the mega-march announcement, Hernandez of the UNT
expressed the hope that the unity demonstrated by the march
would carry over into other areas of labor
cooperation/coordination. Another labor leader, Martin
Esparza Flores of the SME, stated unequivocally that the
unity of the mega-march would last for the full six years of
the Calderon administration.

-------------- --------------
LABOR,S UNITED FRONT QUICKLY ENDED BY PARTY POLITICS
-------------- --------------


5. Labor unity was shattered by the introduction of party
politics within days of the announcement of the mega-march
and the statements of worker solidarity. The incident which
prompted the fissures was apparently instigated by the UNT.
The UNT is often associated with the Party of the Democratic
Revolution (PRD) and in July last year that party,s
presidential candidate, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO)
only narrowly lost a hard fought election. Neither the
candidate nor the party gracefully accepted the loss and
emotions over the entire matter still run high. Undoubtedly
as a result of these still strong emotions the UNT attempted
to assure the PRD,s failed presidential candidate a
prominent role in the mega-march.


MEXICO 00000413 002 OF 002



6. When AMLO,s proposed role in the mega-march was first
announced, the UNT unilaterally indicated that he would lead
the march and serve as the event,s keynote speaker. This
unilateral UNT action quickly produced sharply negative
reaction by several of the other national unions, in
particular from the CT, the CTM and the STFRM, all of whom
are closely associated with the Institutional Revolutionary
Party (PRI),the second largest opposition political party in
Mexico,s national legislature.


7. At first, the UNT and various PRD politicians (including
the party,s national leader) tried to argue that the
presence of Lopez Obrador in the mega-march was essential
since he personified the symbol of what they described as the
right wing PAN government of President Calderon. These
statements produced a firestorm of criticisms from PRI
affiliated unions which accused the UNT and PRD of trying to
capitalize on the hardships being suffered by Mexican workers
for political purposes. Consequently, the main PRI
affiliated unions declared they would completely withdraw
from the mega-march rather than be associated with a
one-sided political party event.

--------------
UNT/PRD UNABLE TO RESTORE LABOR UNITY
--------------


8. In the face of this harsh criticism and the decision by
most of the PRI affiliated unions to withdraw from the
mega-march, the UNT and PRD ultimately attempted to
backtrack. Instead of having AMLO lead the event and be its
keynote speaker, they asserted that he would just be another
participant in the event. Unfortunately for them, these
concessions failed to sway the PRI affiliated unions.
Rather, they appear to have prompted the PRI affiliated
unions to reaffirm their decision not to take part in the
mega-march and instead to publicly announce their intention
to work with the government of President Calderon to find
other ways to address the concerns of their members and
average Mexicans over the recent price increases in basic
food items.

--------------
COMMENT
--------------


9. Within the space of a single week, what started out as a
strong show of labor solidarity ended up highlighting the
reality that some unions will put political party affiliation
ahead of longer term goals. The recent price increases in
basic food items have undoubtedly caused hardships for many
Mexicans and prompted the GOM to take actions to ameliorate
their distress (REFTEL). The plans for the mega-march, had
they gone forward as originally announced, would have put
Mexico,s organized labor movement in a good position to
express its concerns over price increases to President
Calderon, and to present a united front on other issues of
interest to Mexican workers. Unfortunately for the unions,
partisan politics frustrated this attempt at labor unity.
Mexico,s organized labor movement can only hope that the
lessons of the now probably not-so-mega-march will allow them
to work more closely together as the country deals with such
pressing and upcoming reforms of Mexico,s federal labor,
energy and fiscal administration laws.


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