The Minister’s action came after Napoleón Gómez criticised the government and the transnational Grupo Mexico for their role in the Pasta de Conchos coal mine 8 disaster in the northern region of Coahuila state in which 65 miners died.

The Labour Ministry has since announced they no longer recognise Napoleon Gomez as the general secretary of SNTMMS identifying an alternative leadership of the union. Napoleón Gómez, who is also a member of the IMF Executive Committee, strongly opposes the Minister’s actions.

The IMF has written to the President of the Republic of Mexico calling on him to intervene in the matter and to put a stop to the Minister of Labour’s interference in the trade union’s affairs. The IMF will also file a complaint to the International Labour Organisation informing it of the Minister’s actions.

“The Minister’s campaign to threaten, defame and discredit Napoleón Gómez as the general secretary of SNTMMS must stop,” said IMF general secretary Marcello Malentacchi.

Solidarity request
A copy of IMF’s protest letter is published on the IMF website in English and Spanish. The IMF calls on affiliates to show solidarity and send letters of protest to the President of the Republic of Mexico, Mr. Vicente Fox Quesada, at the following email address:
[email protected]

Please send copies of the letters to:
Mexican National Miners’ and Metalworkers’ Union (SNTMMS), at:
[email protected]

IMF Latin American and Caribbean Regional Office, at:
[email protected]