Mexican workers show unity against unfair immigration enforcement

By Elsie Aquino/Tell Us USA News Network

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DETROIT (Tell Us USA) - While Mexico celebrates its Mayan Culture, June 26th was declared a Continental Day of Action when workers from throughout the continent convened in front of the Mexican embassies and consulates to demonstrate solidarity with Mexican working class and their unions to protest a terrorist policy of state repression against workers and their organization. The demonstrations also demanded an end to existing labor disputes that involve the Mexican Electrical Workers, the Miners, the Democratic Teachers Union from the National Coordination of Educational Workers and the Mexicana de Aviación [airline] workers. Furthermore, it called for the release of 12 political prisoners who are members of the Mexican Electrical Workers in detention for fighting for their rights to keep their union jobs.

With 35 million Mexican-Americans in the United States, the call was an expression of solidarity among the class-conscious working class of Nuestra [Our] América, meant to stand in unity with concrete actions opposing the neoliberal policies that the international financial oligarchy is attempting to impose on working peoples everywhere. This expression of solidarity with the Mexican working class is intended to send a message that an attack on one sector of the working class is an attack on all workers everywhere. It provided an opportunity for workers — beyond national boundaries — to stand united against the all-out assault on the right to work.

In addition, the significance of this action prior to the July 1 election is testimony to the need for fundamental political change in Mexico. It is a demonstration of support for Mexican workers who are demanding an end to the fascistic PAN-PRI political parties that have imposed the free trade policies — as exemplified by NAFTA – which have condemned millions of workers to unemployment, underemployment or informal work with no social protections, to living a precarious economic and social existence.

The proposal for a Continental Day of Action was presented to the delegates of the V ESNA (V Encuentro Sindical Nuestra (Our) America) held in Mexico City this year from May 21st to 23rd. At this gathering, more than 400 Mexican delegates and 200 other delegates, representing more than 20 countries, came together to debate and discuss capitalism’s impact on workers in the region. The purpose of this meeting was to present the anti-labor policy of the Mexican government and progress towards building new central workers in Mexico. In addition, delegates discussed how to find unity in thought and action within the labor movement in Mexico and Latin America to respond to the capitalist offensive that attempts to strip every last right from workers and promote the accumulation of wealth into the hands of a small number of transnational corporations and individuals.
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June 26, 2012 ABC News/Y! Cristiane Amanpour, Global Perspective