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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: 202/219- 6043.
U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert B. Reich and Mexican
Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare Santiago O¤ate announced today
that they have reached agreement on ministerial consultations regarding a
submission about a Sony subsidiary in Mexico. Canadian Minister of Labor
Lucienne Robillard endorsed the agreement and committed her country to
participate in its implementation.
Ministerial consultations on this subject were requested
by Reich pursuant to a recommendation made by the U.S. National Administrative
Office (NAO). In that instance, several U.S. and Mexican labor rights groups
filed a submission raising allegations of labor law violations involving the
maquiladora operations of the Sony Corporation, doing business as Magneticos de
Mexico, S.A. de C.V., in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico.
The U.S. NAO issued a public report on the review on April
11, and recommended ministerial consultations pursuant to Article 22 of the
North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC) on the issue of union
registration. Each of the countries has established its own NAO in conformance
with the NAALC. The NAALC is commonly referred to as the labor side agreement
to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Reich and O¤ate released to the public the text of
the agreement that sets out specific courses of action to be taken by their two
governments, within a specified time table, to effect the consultations. (see
attachment).
The successful completion of the first-ever case of
ministerial consultations under the NAALC was hailed by all three governments
as a sign that the agreement is working as intended, denoting the willingness
of all parties to strengthen the enforcement of labor law in each country.
MINISTERIAL CONSULTATIONS -- SUBMISSION 940003 AGREEMENTS
ON IMPLEMENTATION
The Secretary of Labor of the United States, and the
Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare of Mexico, in accord with the provisions
of the NAALC, have agreed to carry out consultations regarding labor law
dealing with union registration, a subject matter to which both governments
lend the greatest importance, and have reached the following agreement:
- The Secretaries of Labor of the United States and Mexico and the
Minister of Labour of Canada will instruct their respective National
Administrative Offices (NAOs) to carry out a joint work program to better
explain and improve implementation and public understanding of procedures
regarding union registration and certification at the federal and state levels
in both countries.
The NAOs shall develop a work program within 90
days. The work program could consist of workshops, seminars, meetings, and
studies.
Implementation of the work program shall be
completed within one year.
- The Mexican Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare will direct the
Mexican NAO to bring together a group of independent experts to conduct a study
of labor law dealing with union registration and its implementation. The NAO
will invite the local authorities to participate in the study. The study shall
be completed within 180 days.
- As directed by the Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare, officials
of that Department shall:
- a) meet with workers at Magneticos de Mexico, S.A. de C.V.,
mentioned in the NAO public report on submission 940003 to inform them of
remedies available to them under Mexican law regarding union registration;
- b) meet with local labor authorities to discuss matters regarding
union registration raised by the public report on submission 940003 prepared by
the U.S. NAO;
- c) meet with representatives of Magneticos de Mexico, S.A. de
C.V., to discuss the public report on submission 940003.
The meetings shall be held within 120 days
- The outcome of each of the agreed actions will be promptly made
available to the public. The two parties shall decide on the form and timing of
the public announcements.
- All completion dates are effective from the date of agreement.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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