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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: (202) 219-7597
The Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare of Mexico,
Javier Bonilla, the Secretary of Labor of the United States, Robert B. Reich,
and Canada's Minister of Labour, the Honourable Alfonso Gagliano, today
attended the annual meeting of the Ministerial Council of the Commission for
Labor Cooperation in Mexico City. The council was created under the North
American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC) which came into effect in
January 1994, simultaneously with the North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA) and the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation.
Mexican Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare Javier
Bonilla chaired this third meeting of the council which reviewed progress under
the agreement and developed recommendations for future labor cooperation.
Secretary Bonilla stated that compliance with labor laws
in each country as well as collaboration among workers and employers to raise
productivity and to enhance working conditions will be the foundation to face
future challenges successfully in North America. "Interlocutors in the labor,
business and government sectors have increased their interest in dialogue, and
traditional labor topics benefit from new points of view," he added.
Secretary Reich said, "The third meeting of the Commission
for Labor Cooperation is testimony to the fact that our three countries can
work cooperatively to address labor matters as economic relations expand."
Minister Gagliano noted that council meetings are a
valuable opportunity to share information and gain the perspectives of his
colleagues from the other two countries. "Our discussions about the workplace
of the future are particularly relevant as we are undergoing profound and
irreversible changes in how we work and how we prepare for our working lives,"
the minister noted. "My colleagues in the United States and Mexico were also
very interested in the recommendations we are studying to modernize the
industrial relations section of the Canada Labour Code."
The Ministers of Labor of Mexico, Canada and the United
States Confirmed their common purpose as NAFTA partners of promoting employment
and improving working conditions and living standards across North America.
Ministers also discussed issues related to
high-performance workplaces, the need for retraining and learning to prepare
for the future and Mexico's initiative to build a new labor culture.
Secretary Bonilla noted, "Open dialogue among factors of
production restores the legitimate value of human work and fosters a favorable
environment for job creation." He underscored that the Alliance for the
Recovery of Economic Growth joins together the efforts by productive sectors
through mechanisms that stimulate job creation, higher incomes for workers, and
steady increases in productivity and competitiveness. "The new labor culture
and the Alliance for the Recovery of Economic Growth are part of the same
effort," he said.
Ministers examined progress to date on two ministerial
consultations. Both relate to the principle of freedom of association and
workers' right to organize in Mexico and the United States. Ministers agreed
that these Consultations foster compliance with, and effective enforcement of,
labor legislation in the three countries, reflecting one of the principal
objectives of the NAALC.
The ministerial council approved the 1995 Annual Report of
the Commission for Labor Cooperation. The report includes activities carried
out by the labor Secretariat in Dallas, Texas, as well as the trilateral
cooperative work program of seminars, workshops and conferences on topics such
as occupational safety and health, industrial relations, employment standards
and productivity. The council also approved the 1996 cooperative work program
which focuses on strengthening the exchange of information and experiences on
labor issues in the three countries, particularly in the areas of workplace
training, labor law, gender equity in the workplace, child labor and
occupational safety and health.
Minister Gagliano highlighted the benefits of the
cooperative work program, mentioning in particular a recent tripartite
conference held in Montreal to discuss industrial relations for the 21st
century and the opportunities to strengthen working relationships and increase
the dialogue on key labor issues across North America.
Secretary Reich noted, "We've come a long way since
January 1, 1994, when the NAALC came into force. I am pleased with the progress
that has been made in establishing the Secretariat and encouraged by the
reports and data-gathering activities they have already started to work
on."
The 1996 workplan of the Labor Secretariat includes the
preparation of studies and comparative labor profiles of Mexico, Canada and the
United States, which are expected to be released in the fall.
In an exchange of views on the labor situation and outlook
in each country, labor ministers welcomed this opportunity to renew their
commitment to work together for the benefit of workers in Mexico, Canada and
the United States.
The next annual meeting of the Ministerial Council of the
Commission for Labor Cooperation will take place in the United States in
1997.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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