Mexico: Sugar Strike Suspended

Posted to the IUF website 28-Nov-2006

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The Mexican sugar workers' union STIASRM suspended their nine-day national strike on November 24 subject to reaching agreement with employers on the disputed retirement system by January 20. The union has vowed to resume industrial action if no agreement is found. The IUF Latin American regional secretariat, which had set up an automated message system for sending solidarity messages to the Mexican government, has suspended this action pending the outcome of the negotiations.

Some 45,000 workers in 58 mills began striking on November 16 - the start of the 2006-7 harvest - to support their demands for a 15% wage increase and a resolution of the retirement situation of 3,000 workers over 60 years of age, with 35 years or more on the job, who are not receiving the benefits which are their legal entitlement under the 1958 law which established the rights of workers in the sector.

As a condition for suspending the strike, a joint union-management commission has been established to address the retirement issue, and wages will be paid for the 9-day strike period.