Canadian and Mexican labour organizations are pressing for immediate government intervention following reports that workers at a Canadian-owned mine in Zacatecas, Mexico, have faced violence and death threats for joining an independent union.
The demands come after miners reported being pressured to abandon their union affiliation and support a pro-employer organization.
The Camino Rojo mine, owned by Toronto-based Orla Mining, has seen tensions rise after workers chose to align with Los Mineros, an independent union formally recognized by the Mexican government as their legal bargaining representative. Despite this recognition, the union alleges that Orla Mining has continued to encourage workers to join a “protection” union, which critics describe as favouring the employer.
According to Los Mineros, workers who advocated for joining their union have endured threats, harassment, and even violence. Over the summer, employees reported incidents of intimidation, and in a recent escalation, an armed break-in targeted the home of union supporter Jaime Pulido Leon, prompting Los Mineros to seek safety assurances from the Canadian embassy for his family.
The situation has drawn international attention from Canadian labour leaders. The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), alongside the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the Centre international de solidarité ouvrière (CISO), and the United Steelworkers union (USW), co-signed a letter to labour departments in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, urging action to protect workers’ rights. The letter was also sent to the Canadian embassy in Mexico, where Los Mineros members recently held a demonstration to protest the alleged abuses.
“Mexico has seen a history of corrupt corporations using violence, intimidation, and even murder to quell workers’ resistance,” said Marty Warren, United Steelworkers Canadian Director. “It would be unacceptable for a Canadian mining company to be associated with these tactics. Workers must be able to organize and join unions without fear,” Warren added.
The unions’ letter called the alleged attempt on Pulido Leon’s life “alarming” and emphasized the need for workers across North America to have the freedom to join unions without fearing reprisals. The labour organizations urged government agencies to engage with Los Mineros and support a “just resolution” to the escalating situation.