The Mexican Telephone Company (TELMEX) union; corruption within its administration or during the union's leadership elections in 2000 [MEX38742.E]

For a general overview of the Mexican Telephone Workers Union (Sindicato de Telefonistas de la República Mexicana, STRM), please consult the attached report from Cross Border Links on the STRM (5 Jan. 2000). Also attached, please find a listing of members of the National Executive Committee and other various committees of the STRM (STRM 26 Oct. 2001). The listing states that the union has 45,000 members grouped in 163 locals or sections (secciones) (ibid.).

One source reports that Francisco Hernandez Juarez has been the head of the STRM since 1976 and is a member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) (Mexican Labor News and Analysis 5 Dec. 1997). However, Hernandez is also a leader of the umbrella National Workers Union (Union Nacional de Trabajadores, UNT), set up recently by the STRM and other unions, and which "purports not to support any party" (The Economist 23 Oct. 1999).

A more recent article, published by the Mexican Workers University (Universidad Obrera Mexicana, UOM) and which discusses unionism in Mexico, states that the STRM has experienced for at least 20 years a caciquismo or strong-man leadership (from cacique, or strong man) that has nevertheless enjoyed significant support from the membership (UOM 24 Nov. 2000). This is attributed to the benefits granted by Carlos Slim, the owner of the telephone company (TELMEX) described as one of the world's richest men (ibid.). The article states that Carlos Slim "plays the various political stripes" (tiene la virtud de moverse en todas las bandas de la política) and that "it is safe to assume he influences the union and economic projects of Hernandez Juarez [STRM leader]" (no es arriesgado suponer que tiene alguna injerencia en los proyectos sindicales y económicos de Hernández Juárez) (ibid.). Finally, the article states that one of the weaknesses of the STRM has been the gradual erosion of union militancy at the grassroots level, with "benefits softening the mobilizing passions" (los beneficios obtenidos aflojan su ánimo movilizador) (ibid.).

Another article referring to certain questionable practices involving Mexican unions refers to "protection contracts" (contratos de protección), which are secret agreements between union heads and employers which are not known by the union membership, and which generally protect the employer from union actions (La Jornada 16 Aug. 2000). The article cites as a source for this information an advisor of the STRM and professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM); however, although the professor states that the practice is widespread, the report does not specifically state that the STRM or TELMEX have engaged in such a practice (ibid.).

Also attached to this Response, please find a list of members of the two groups which contested the 2000 union leadership elections for the National Executive Committee and for the National Oversight Committee (Comité Nacional de Vigilancia) of the STRM, for the period 2000-2004 (STRM 28 May 2000).

A chronology of recent union-related events published by the UOM states that on 6 July 2000 the STRM announced the preliminary results of these elections: Francisco Hernandez Juarez, head of the union since 1976, won his seventh term as secretary general; the head of the opposing slate, Andronico Martinez, was reported to be claiming that "irregularities" (irregularidades) had taken place during the electoral process (UOM 26 Sept. 2001). The STRM published in late June 2000 a letter replying to 50 members of the union who had apparently requested that the elections be declared null; the letter outlines the National Oversight Committee's arguments for dismissing their request, indicating that the process was in accordance to the STRM norms (STRM 30 June 2000).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References


Cross Border Links [Albuquerque, New Mex.]. 5 January 2000. "Sindicato de Telefonistas de la República Mexicana (STRM)." http://www.irc-online.org/cbl/labor/mexico/strm.html [Accessed 11 Apr. 2002]

The Economist [London]. 23 October 1999. U.S. Edition. "Mexico's Trade Unions Stick to the Same Old Tune." (NEXIS)

La Jornada [Mexico City]. 16 August 2000. Fabiola Martínez. "Evidencia desorden laboral el contratismo de protección." http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2000/ ago00/000816/043n2gen.html [Accessed 11 Apr. 2002]

Mexican Labor News and Analysis [Cincinnati, Oh.]. 5 December 1997. Vol. 2, No. 22. "The Founding of the UNT: A Progressive Step for Mexican Labor." http://www.ueinternational.org/vol2no22.html [Accessed 11 Apr. 2002]

Sindicato de Telefonistas de la República Mexicana (STRM), Mexico City. 26 October 2000. "Comité Ejecutivo Nacional." http://www.strm.org.mx/org/cen.htm [Accessed 11 Apr. 2002]

_____. 30 June 2000. "Respuesta del Comité Nacional de Vigilancia a los 50 Compañeros que solicitaron declarar nulo el proceso electoral." http://www.strm.org.mx/politica/respuesta.htm [Accessed 11 Apr. 2002]

_____. 28 May 2000. "Notificación de planillas registradas." http://www.strm.org.mx/politica/planillas.htm [Accessed 11 Apr. 2002]

Universidad Obrera de México (UOM), Mexico City. 26 September 2001. "Posición sindical ante el nuevo Gobierno." http://www.uom.edu.mx/trabajadores/19recuento.htm [Accessed 11 Apr. 2002]

_____. 24 November 2000. Marcos Tello Chávez. "Corporativismo y lucha obrera." http://www.uom.edu.mx/trabajadores/03sindi.html [Accessed 11 Apr. 2002]

Attachments


Cross Border Links [Albuquerque, New Mex.]. 5 January 2000. "Sindicato de Telefonistas de la República Mexicana (STRM)." http://www.irc-online.org/cbl/labor/mexico/strm.html [Accessed 11 Apr. 2002]

Sindicato de Telefonistas de la República Mexicana (STRM), Mexico City. 26 October 2000. "Comité Ejecutivo Nacional." http://www.strm.org.mx/org/cen.htm [Accessed 11 Apr. 2002]

_____. 28 May 2000. "Notificación de planillas registradas." http://www.strm.org.mx/politica/planillas.htm [Accessed 11 Apr. 2002]