Mexico City, August 29. The United States government requested that Mexico investigate under the USMCA's rapid labor response mechanism (RLRM) against the Canadian company Orla Mining for the alleged violation of the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining of workers in Section 335 of the National Mining Union at the Camino Rojo Mining plant in Mazapil, Zacatecas.
The request, announced by U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, imposes an initial sanction on the open-pit mining company specializing in the extraction and production of gold and silver, as the Treasury Department was instructed to suspend the imposition of tariffs on the company's goods.
“Today’s decision underscores the United States’ persistent and unwavering commitment to safeguarding the rights of workers to safely engage in union activities and freely associate with the union of their choice without fear of retaliation or violence,” said Ambassador Katherine Tai.
Labor complaint number 27 responds to a petition from the National Mining Union, headed by Senator Napoleón Gómez Urrutia; it was filed on June 24 and alleges that the multinational corporation " interfered with union affairs ."
This is because the company seeks to "belittle and undermine the strength of workers' support for the main union, Minero," and instead attempts to promote workers' membership in an external union affiliated with the National Federation of Independent Trade Unions (FNSI).
The International Trade Commission reviewed the petition and determined that "there is sufficient and credible evidence of a denial of rights to warrant the good faith invocation of the USMCA rapid response mechanism."
Mexico has 10 days to agree to conduct a review and, if it agrees, 45 days from today to complete the review.
