Mexican miners win important victory at Cananea

The Los Mineros miners' union in Mexico has won an injunction confirming the legality of the strike at the Cananea mine. The miners who were forcibly removed by the police in June have returned to the mine and are continuing their strike.

More than 800 workers, accompanied by their families and residents of the town, have once again occupied mine installations at Cananea, after being evicted on June 6, 2010.

Workers returned to the mine after the Ninth District Judge in the State of Sonora accepted the request for an injunction lodged by the National Miners Union (SNTMMSRM). On August 12, the judge ruled that the strike organised by the union, which started on July 30, 2007, remains valid despite the forcible removal of striking workers by federal police in June.

Speaking to a radio station, union leader, Napoleón Gómez Urrutia, said that the judge's provisional suspension of the previous court ruling represents a victory for the rule of law, allows workers to legally continue the strike and means they should not be removed from the mine.

He said that the federal and state police forces took control of the mine illegally on June 6. He added that there was no court order to occupy the installations, simply an instruction from the Public Prosecutors Office to conduct some formalities.

The union has notified the Federal Secretary for Public Safety to refrain from taking action that either threatens public safety or interferes with the peaceful occupation of the installations by striking workers. The union also called on the authorities to respect workers' rights and not deploy the police force against workers who are only exercising their rights as set out in the Constitution and in accordance with the pronouncements of the judicial authorities.

The United Steelworkers Union (USW) of the United States and Canada has requested the Mexican government to withdraw federal and police forces from the Grupo Mexico mine installations in Cananea. The IMF supports this request, warns the government that it will be solely responsible for any violence at the mine and calls on it to safeguard the health of workers at Cananea.

In addition, the United Steelworkers' (USW) President Leo Gerard announced on August 20 solidarity action for the striking workers in Cananea, with the USW placing a rotating team of international observers in the city to monitor the illegal police presence, who are intimidating strikers and protecting scabs.

Government support for the strikebreakers continues, with local authorities accused of cutting electric power to some of the strikers' homes, in an effort to intimidate them.

Grupo Mexico and Mexico's Labour Ministry have refused to accept the appeal ruling, stating that the union's contract remains suspended, and that the District Judge's decision has no effect as the eviction of the strikers has already occurred. Aug 24, 2010 – Valeska Solis