Los Mineros fighting for justice in Mexico

Workers have little to celebrate on Mexico' 200th Day of Independence, as the Mexican Miners' Union holds its 15th National Forum in Cananea to show support for striking workers who suffered their most recent violent attack on their rights one week earlier.

MEXICO: On September 16, the Mexican Miners' Union (SNTMMSRM), affiliated to IMF, carried out the 15th National Miners' Forum of Section 65 in Cananea, Sonora under the motto "In defense of life and the dignity of workers and their families".

Over a thousand workers were present at the Forum, along with local and other sections of the Mexican Miners' Union and a delegation of the USW headed by Jim Robinson and Manuel Armenta. IMF regional representative Jorge Almeida also attended and confirmed IMF's support and solidarity with the miners.

The Forum coincided with national celebrations of the bicentennial of the Independence of Mexico and was held by the union in Cananea on this day to support the striking miners who, one week earlier, suffered the latest round of violent attacks.

At 5:30am on September 8 approximately 600 scabs and Federal Police in plainclothes attacked the striking Mexican Miners' Union members at the Cananea copper mine owned by Grupo Mexico.

In a letter to the Mexican authorities, IMF once again condemned the violence being perpetrated against the Mexican Miners' Union and urged the government to reflect on the 200th Day of Independence how the workers of Mexico have little to celebrate while their rights are being repressed in this way.

At the Forum, Los Mineros watched a video message of the message of its General Secretary, Napoleón Gómez Urrutia, who referred to the long struggle in the mining town of Cananea, and the union's readiness to continue to support and strive to achieve a solution to conflicts.

After the event, some of the participants found the glass windows of their vehicles destroyed, yet another example of the violence against the workers.