MEXICO: Mexican court rules that a two-week-old strike at world's largest copper mine can continue

A court rules the strike at the world's largest copper mine in Mexico can continue. One miner has died during the conflict so far. A Mexican court ruled on Wednesday (August 15) that a two-week-old strike at the world's largest copper mine can continue for the time being. A union official said the court assured miners at the Cananea mine would not lose their jobs if they stayed out on strike. The same court also said on Wednesday the union could continue a strike at Grupo Mexico's lead and silver mine in the southern town of Taxco. The mine's owners Grupo Mexico said the verdict had not yet been officially published but it expected the strike to be declared legal. A definitive ruling on the legality of the action, which is over safety fears, is not expected until early September. About 3,000 miners at the Cananea, Taxco and the small San Martin copper mine have defied a government order to go back to work and vowed to keep the mines closed until pay and conditions improve. But the company says those miners on strike cannot block the mine's gates which means some workers may go back to work. The conflict is now dividing Sonora's miners and miners say that the company is trying to scare them off. "They tried to instill fear in us and shot in the air, they shot various times," said Fulgencio Santiago who was wounded during one clash. Workers put down their tools on July 30, nominally to protest safety conditions but also in a bid to win a long running feud between union boss Napoleon Gomez and Grupo Mexico. Some workers say they want to join a new less combative labor organization. "Every single miner is totally against Napoleon, there is not a single person who is in favour of this man, we don't want anything to do with him here, all we want is to forget his way of working," said Santiago. Myrna Hernandez, the daughter of miner Reynaldo Hernandez, killed during a violent clash at the weekend, buried her father. "That's what they tell me, that it was a rock (the cause of death), that's what they tell me," she said. Groups of a dozen striking miners stood outside Cananea's gates on Wednesday (August 15), beside black and red banners showing an ongoing strike. The union, which has added a 15-percent pay rise to its original demands, has said it will resist any attempt to break up the strike and fire workers. One mine worker Ernesto Garcia said the union and the company must start talks. It was not clear how many miners could oppose the union and return to work, but Grupo Mexico would also have the option of hiring contract laborers to help it reopen the mines. The conflict has divided the union and some workers at nine Grupo Mexico mines and plants have said they want to join a new less combative labor organization.

ITN Source | August 16, 2007

Tags:. .striking. .fears. .daughter. .anything. .demands