Urgent Action. Miners of section 309 of SNTMMSRM purse a work stoppage at Platosa Mine.
The Miners of Section 309 of the “Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores Mineros Metalúrgicos y Similares de la República Mexicana,” exercised their right of freedom of association and pursued a work stoppage today at the Platosa mine, a Canadian Mining company under Excellon Inc, in the Mexican state of Durango.
The Project of Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights A.C (ProDESC), has been accompanying since November 2010, the process of training and recognition of labor rights of workers in the Platosa mine, located in the municipality of Mapimí in the state of Durango, which is owned by the mining company Excellon of México S.A. of C.V., a subsidiary of Excellon Resources Inc, which is a Canadian owned company that operates mines in the state of Durango since 2004.
Towards the end of the past year, the mine workers of Platosa decided to form section 309 in collaboration with the “Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores Mineros Metalúrgicos y Similares de la República Mexicana,” due to the unsatisfactory conditions they faced in their workplace. Since that moment, up to this date, the miners have encountered numerous obstacles in exercising their right to freedom of association, which is enshrined in Article 123 Section A: Fraction XVI of the Mexican Constitution, as well as in Articles 354 to 385 of the Federal Labor Law. Similarly it is important to note that the right to freedom of association is recognized in international treaties and conventions on human rights such as Convention 87 of the International Labor Organization and Article 8, 8.1 to 8.3 of the additional Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights “Protocol of San Salvador”, both signed and ratified by the Mexican State. It is important to note that some of these challenges have been imposed by the mine management in an attitude of closure to the workers’ demands.
Today, August 15, 2011, workers in section 309 of SNTMMSRM decided to conduct a work stoppage at the mine, demanding a dialogue with the company Excellon Resources Inc.
We are aware that the company has not made the effort to hear the demands directly from the workers; on the contrary, they instead filed a complaint for eviction before the Public Ministry in an effort to criminalize the exercise of their rights.
In response, the Project on Economic, Social and Cultural rights calls on the company Excellon Resources Inc., to have a dialogue heed workers’ calls and to sit down and negotiate on behalf of workers and their own company.
Likewise, we urge the authorities of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare of the State of Durango, to comply with the provisions of the Federal labor law by overseeing that the rights of the miners of section 309 are respected, and ensuring that the conditions of the negotiation are in strict compliance with their labor rights.
Write your calls to:
Company
Jeremy Wyeth, President & CEO,
Suite #900, 20 Victoria Street
Toronto, Ontario M5C 2N8
info@excellonresources.com
jwyeth@excellonresources.com
Peter A.Crossgrove, Excecutive Chairman
PCrossgrove@excellonresources.com
Mexican Goverment
Lic. Javier Lozano Alarcón
Secretario de Trabajo y Previsión Social
Periférico Sur No. 4271, Col. Fuentes del Pedregal,
Tlalpan 14149, México D.F Conmutador 3000-2100
email: javier.lozano@stps.gob.mx
Ing. Jesús Salvador Salúm del Palacio.
Delegado Federal del Trabajo en Durango
Av. Del Hierro N° 505 Palacio Federal
2° Piso Ala Norte Ciudad Industrial
Teléfonos: (618) 814-2466 / 814-0841 / 814-0183 / 814-0002/ 814-157
dgo102@stps.gob.mx
Send copy to:
Marketa D.Evans, Phd
Coorporate Social Responsability Counsellor
Government of Canada
Marketa.evans@international.gc.ca
Lynn Hartery, Segunda Secretaria Asuntos Políticos
Embassy of Canada in Mexico
lynn.hartery@international.gc.ca
Schiller No. 529 Col. Polanco 11560 México, D.F. México
Tel: 52 55 5724-7900 Fax: 52 55 5724-7983
Proyecto de Derechos Económicos, Sociales y Culturales A.C.
Zamora 169 despacho 2-B, Colonia Condesa, C.P. 06140 México, D. F.
Tel. (55) 5212-2229
Tel y fax. (55) 5212-2230
proyectodesc@gmail.com
