Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09MEXICO838
2009-03-23 18:14:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Mexico
Cable title:  

SOCIAL SECURITY WORKERS, UNION CONTEMPLATES

Tags:  ELAB ECON PHUM PGOV SOCI PINR MX 
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DE RUEHME #0838/01 0821814
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 231814Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5734
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC
INFO RUCNCAN/ALL CANADIAN POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MEXICO 000838 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR DRL/AWH AND ILSCR, WHA/MEX, USDOL FOR ILAB

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB ECON PHUM PGOV SOCI PINR MX
SUBJECT: SOCIAL SECURITY WORKERS, UNION CONTEMPLATES
CHANGING LABOR AFFLIATION AND POLITICAL PARTY ALLIANCE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MEXICO 000838

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR DRL/AWH AND ILSCR, WHA/MEX, USDOL FOR ILAB

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB ECON PHUM PGOV SOCI PINR MX
SUBJECT: SOCIAL SECURITY WORKERS, UNION CONTEMPLATES
CHANGING LABOR AFFLIATION AND POLITICAL PARTY ALLIANCE


1. SUMMARY: Mexico,s the National Union of Social Security
Workers (SNTSS) is contemplating changing its labor
affiliation and has already moved to chance its political
party connections. The SNTSS is a member of the National
Workers Union (UNT),Mexico,s second largest labor
federation. The UNT claims to be independent in that it has
no formal ties to any political party but in fact it is
closely linked to the PRD, Mexico,s main opposition party in
Congress. Following multiple press reports on the SNTSS,
pondered change, its leader ultimately stated that a final
decision on the matter would not be made until the union,s
October 2009 national convention. Officially the SNTSS
stated that it may leave the UNT because of disagreements
with the federation over how to promote the interests of
Mexico,s workers. However, it appears more likely that the
SNTSS leadership grew tired of being part of a labor
organization that it does not control and it is now clear
that Mexico,s two main opposition political parties engaged
in a bidding war to win the union,s support for the
country,s July mid-term elections. With some 400,000 active
members and another 150,000 retirees who still retain
substantial union rights, the SNTSS is the second largest
public service union in Mexico. The SNTSS describes itself
as an &independent8 union free to operate in the best
interests of its members. In practice it is run exactly like
Mexico,s less progressive unions in that the leadership is
not openly elected, the union resists all efforts to account
for its use of public funds or membership dues and it shows
surprisingly little interest in defending internationally
recognized worker rights. END SUMMARY.


BACKGROUND ON THE PLAYERS


2. The National Union of Social Security Workers (SNTSS) is
the labor organization that represents the public service
employees who staff Mexico,s national health care system.
With some 400,000 active members and another 150,000 retirees
who still retain substantial union rights, the SNTSS is the

second largest public service union in Mexico. The only
public service union larger than the SNTSS is the National
Teachers, Union (SNTE) which reportedly has approximately
one million members. In the past, the SNTSS was one of the
many unions in Mexico formally linked to the country,s
former ruling party, the Institutional Revolutionary Party
(PRI). When the PRI lost power in 2000 the SNTSS saw a
considerable drop in its influence and began looking around
for other options.


3. The option it chose was to join the National Workers
Union (UNT). The UNT is a federation of unions who are
officially independent in that they have no formal ties to
any political party. In reality the UNT is closely linked to
what is now Mexico,s main opposition party; the Party of the
Democratic Revolution (PRD). When the SNTSS joined the UNT
the size of its membership catapulted the organization into
the position of being the second largest labor federation in
Mexico. Despite joining the UNT the SNTSS initially
maintained its official links to the PRI. However, in the
run up to Mexico,s 2006 presidential elections the SNTSS
broke with the PRI and effectively joined its fellow UNT
unions in supporting the PRD.


4. The main incentive for the SNTSS, break with the PRI was
an offer from the PRD of several choice spots on its list of
proportionally elected Federal Deputies. Proportionally
elected officials are persons nominated by a political party
to hold elected office without having to subject themselves
to the possibility of defeat in an electoral campaign. As it
turns out the PRD,s candidate lost the 2006 presidential
election and the party ultimately reneged on its promise to
place several SNTSS members in the national legislature as
Federal Deputies.


RUMORS THAT SNTSS IS CHANGING SIDES


5. In late 2008 rumors began circulating in Mexican labor
circles that the SNTSS was contemplating changing its labor
and political party affiliation. According to the rumors the
SNTSS was considering leaving the UNT and severing its
unofficial but nevertheless very real links to the PRD. By

MEXICO 00000838 002 OF 003


February 2009 multiple press reports were describing SNTSS,
contemplated changes as a done deal. Ultimately, however,
the SNTSS,s Secretary General, Valdemar Gutierrez Fragoso,
declared that a final decision on the matter would not be
made until the union,s October 2009 national convention.
According to Gutierrez the SNTSS, national leadership was
not pressing for a withdrawal from the UNT. It was, he said,
only responding to the wishes of the union,s membership to
explore better ways to promote their interests.


6. Continuing on, Gutierrez stated that the SNTSS membership
believed it might be best for the union to leave the UNT
because of disagreements with the federation over how to best
promote the interests of Mexico,s workers. Gutierrez
averred that at one time the UNT was a unified organization
dedicated to promoting the interests of the workers. Now the
UNT has lost its focus and as each day passed the
federation,s associate unions were more interested in
working for their individual benefits than they were in
advocating on behalf of all workers. It was this lack of
focus and loss of unity in promoting the welfare of ordinary
workers, Gutierrez stated, that was prompting the SNTSS,
members to contemplate leaving the UNT.


WORKER RIGHTS OR UNION LEADERS, POLITICAL GAINS


7. Secretary General Gutierrez, expressions of concern for
the workers notwithstanding, both his past behavior and that
of the SNTSS leadership, call into question the sincerity of
their declarations. Rather than moving to leave the UNT
because of concern over a lack of focus in defending worker
interests it appears more likely that the SNTSS leadership
simply tired of being part of a labor federation that it does
not control. Moreover, it now clear that Mexico,s two main
opposition political parties, the PRD and the PRI, engaged in
a bidding war to win the union,s support for the country,s
July mid-term elections.


8. The SNTSS describes itself as an &independent8 union
free to operate in the best interests of its members. In
practice however, the SNTSS is anything but a shining example
of a free and democratic union. As a part of the UNT the
SNTSS enthusiastically jointed in public criticisms of the
discredited and often corrupt practices of some of Mexico,s
less progressive unions. At the same time the SNTSS, own
actions steadily reinforced its own reputation as a labor
organization whose leadership gained power through rigged
elections, as a union that resists all efforts to account
for its use of public funds or membership dues and one that
has shown surprisingly little interest in defending
internationally recognized worker rights.


9. In responding to media inquiries about the SNTSS,s
possible departure from the UNT, Secretary General Gutierrez
has repeatedly stated that the union made a mistake in
severing its ties with the PRI if favor of the PRD. He
openly confirmed that in recent months the SNTSS had held
talks with both the PRI and the PRD that essentially
bargained the union,s support for this year,s mid-term
elections in July. The union leader also acknowledged that
the former had made the SNTSS a better offer than the latter.


11. According to Gutierrez, the PRI not only offered to name
at least two high level SNTSS officials as Federal Deputies,
it also promised to open its ranks so that union members at
the state level could compete internally within the party for
nominations as candidates for positions as mayors, city
council members and state legislators. For its part the PRD
offered the SNTSS the possibility of competing in its
internal processes for electoral offices in Mexico City,s
legislative body, a PRD stronghold. Unfortunately for the
PRD, the degree of support offered and the number of
potential spots being made available to the SNTSS could not
compare with what the PRI was prepared to offer the union
nationally.


COMMENT


12. On paper the SNTSS is still a part of the UNT but its
ties to that labor federation are fairly tenuous. Because of

MEXICO 00000838 003 OF 003


this tentative loss of the SNTSS the UNT has now effectively
fallen into third place among Mexico,s national level labor
federations. Mexico,s largest labor federation is, and has
always been, the PRI affiliated CTM (Confederation of Mexican
Workers). The UNT,s tentative fall to third place among
national labor organizations automatically elevates the PRI
affiliated CROC (Revolutionary Confederation of Workers and
Peasants) from the number three spot that it has occupied
almost since the UNT was formed. With the SNTSS, return to
the PRI fold it can now argue that it is better positioned to
represents the interests of Mexican workers than any other
national political party. Ironically, a case can be made
that the PRD and the unions affiliated with it are more
likely to promote internationally recognized worker rights
than the PRI or its affiliated unions. The PRI has rarely
taken a strong stand on worker rights as that term is defined
internationally. Traditionally the PRI has been much more
concerned with helping unions operate with as little
adaptation to changing times as possible. For its part the
PRD has not always been willing to force its affiliated
unions to live up to their progressive rhetoric on worker
rights but at least it does recognize that doing things the
way they have always been done is not in the best interests
of Mexican workers.

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