Published Mar 13, 2023 • Last updated 8 hours ago • 1 minute read
National flags representing Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. are lit by stage lights at the North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA, renegotiations, in Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017. Photo by Marco Ugarte /THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Canada’s federal government has launched a trade complaint regarding labour abuses at a Mexican automotive parts facility owned by the German-based firm Fränkische.
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Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors It’s the first complaint launched by the Canadian government under the Rapid Response Labour Mechanism contained in the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement. The complaint was launched after a joint request was received March 11 from the Canadian union Unifor and the Mexican automotive union Sindicato Independiente Nacional De Trabajadores Y Trabajadoras De La Industria Automotriz.
“We are encouraged that the Canadian government has listened to our concerns about the egregious labour violations happening at this factory in Mexico and is moving this complaint forward,” said Unifor’s national president Lana Payne in a statement Monday.
“The harsh treatment, intimidation and illegal firings these Mexican workers face by exercising their basic union rights must stop.”
The unions claim Fränkische has continually denied the “rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining” at its Silao facility. The complaint claims workers at the 10-year-old plant have faced threats and intimidation from the employer and incumbent union.
The Rapid Response Labour Mechanism requires parties to investigate allegations and come up with a solution. If no solution is reached, a panel may be struck to settle the issues and enforce penalties.
Penalties can include prohibiting the export of production from the facility.
The next step in the process is a group of Canadian government officials will travel to Mexico to conducts interviews and an investigation over the next 30 days. A similar Mexican delegation will then respond to the findings if the Canadians find there’s substance to the allegations.
Since the signing of the CUSMA deal, the Canadian government has stationed two labour attaches in Mexico.
While Canada had yet to file a trade complaint with Mexico under the new rules, the U.S. has done so seven times for violations at Mexican plants.
