According to a July 1 press release from the Authentic Labor Front (FAT), an independent Mexican labor group, one of its affiliates has won a settlement in a two-month struggle with the Central de Abasto, Mexico City's huge wholesale food market. The Union of Workers of Commercial Buildings, Offices and Stores, and the Like and Related (STRACC), which represents about 40 workers who clean bathrooms in the facility's flowers and vegetables area, signed an agreement in which management recognized the union and its contract and confirmed the rights and working conditions the workers had before the conflict started on April 29. STRACC also won full payment of wages lost due to the conflict, along with better working conditions and schedules. The employees returned to work on July 1.

Central de Abasto's management had contracted the bathroom maintenance out to a private company, which tried to replace the union workers, who are mostly women, with contracted workers. (See Update, May 18). STRACC responded with legal actions and with a strike on May 30. FAT attributed the union's success in part to "solidarity from international unions and Mexican organizations that supported the movement." (FAT press releases, July 1, June 3, May 30)

From Weekly News Update on the Americas, July 6

See our last posts on Mexico and the labor struggle.