Morena Senator To Promote Safer Conditions for Workers

A MORENA senator said that during the next session of the Chamber of Senators, the senate will make the monitoring of the working conditions of Mexican mines a priority, as well as revise international treaties that Mexico signed regarding safety for mining workers. 

Alejandro Armenta, Senator, MORENA, stated that for the next period of sessions, one of the main priorities will be the revision of mining projects in the country. This comes 19 days after the collapse of a coal mine in Sabinas, Coahuila, where little progress has been made to rescue 10 miners that remain trapped. Armenta said that the party’s senators will push for the ratification of the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 176, which is focused on ensuring safe and healthy conditions for mining workers. 

Armenta admitted that mining exploitation is one of the most dangerous activities in the country’s industries. Therefore, his party will push for Convention 176’s ratification, benefitting more than 190,000 workers in this sector. 

According to Armenta, the Mexican government could also inspect foreign companies’ concessions after approving the convention. He highlighted that during Carlos Salinas’ and Ernesto Zedillo’s presidential terms, the country opened up to the participation of foreign companies in the mining sector, which led foreign players to hold over 70 of the granted concessions in Mexico, representing 92 million hectares.

Armenta held what appears to be a confrontational stance toward the mining industry and said that “[the government] will not allow more exploitation and looting to detriment of Mexican workers.” His stance is in line with the discourse of Napoleón Gómez Urrutia, Senator for MORENA and Head of the National Union of Mining, Metallurgical, Iron Steel and Similar Workers of the Mexican Republic (SNTMMSSRM). Gómez also urged the government to improve the industry’s working conditions. Gómez said that he proposed a comprehensive reform to the Mining Law, as well as ratifying the ILO’s Convention 176.

Gómez stated that tragedies like the Sabinas mine could be prevented, but the incorporation of modern technologies would be paramount, as would be rigorous inspections from officers of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS), who according to Gómez currently just make “desk reports.” 

MORENA’s allies in the Chamber of Senators agreed with Gómez and presented a point of agreement to the Congress’ Permanent Commission, stating that the Mexican government has the obligation to verify what is taking place in mines. They also asked for sanctions for those that do not comply with the law and even the revocation of concession.