Brussels, 03/09/2015 (Agence Europe) - In her letter of 27 August, Jude Kirton-Darling MEP (S&D, UK) asks European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström to ensure that the upcoming review of the 2000 EU-Mexico free trade agreement guarantees Mexico's ratification and full implementation of all the conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
“Mexico has not ratified ILO Convention 98 on the right to organise and collective bargaining. While Mexico did ratify Convention 87 on freedom of association, the ILO has nonetheless identified serious shortcomings in Mexican labour laws that limit these fundamental freedoms”, Kirton-Darling states.
The “protection contracts”, which allow employers to sign collective agreements with employer-dominated unions, often without the prior consultation or knowledge of workers, are “one of the most concerning aspects” and constitute “a major obstacle” to any “meaningful” freedom of association, says Kirton-Darling. She also deplores the fact that labour boards (Juntas de Conciliacion y Arbitraje) are regularly “manipulated” by employers and employer-dominated unions, and that they are prone to corruption.
“The revision of the EU-Mexico trade deal represents a crucial opportunity for the EU to demonstrate its commitment to workers' rights globally. Furthermore, Mexico's shortcomings in terms of right to collective bargaining and freedom of association distort competition. Failure to address these shortcomings in the context of deepened trade relations could lead to social dumping, which would in turn be detrimental to European workers”, Kirton-Darling states.
“Any future EU-Mexico agreement should not simply aim at the ratification by Mexico of Convention 98 and the full implementation of Convention 87: the EU should use its leverage to secure the ratification and full implementation of all ILO fundamental standards as a prerequisite to the conclusion of these trade negotiations”, she concludes.
During their bilateral summit on 12 June (see EUROPE 11334), the EU and Mexico reaffirmed their resolve to launch the start of negotiations this year in order to modernise the comprehensive agreement that has governed bilateral political and trade cooperation since 2000. The two parties want to modernise the comprehensive agreement while extending it to other areas such as energy, trade facilitation and sustainable development (see EUROPE 11312). (Emmanuel Hagry)