At the XV Ordinary Congress of the Autonomous Confederation of Workers and Employees of Mexico (CATEM) held in Mexico City, Claudia Sheinbaum, the National Coordinator of the Committees for the Defense of the Fourth Transformation, vowed to uphold what she referred to as the significant achievements of the 4T in the labor sector.
“I assure the workers of Mexico that we will continue to fight for their wages and labor rights, as we understand that when workers succeed, businesses and the entire nation prosper,” declared the virtual presidential pre-candidate for Morena and its allies. She emphasized that “to ensure Mexico’s ongoing prosperity, we must maintain our current direction.”
Prior to this, Sheinbaum convened a meeting at Morena’s national headquarters with the nine state coordinators for the defense of the transformation, who will eventually seek candidacies for governorships and the capital’s government in the upcoming year. “In the 4T, we are united. We are with the people of Mexico to strengthen and advance this revival of Mexico’s public life,” stated the Morena leader while sharing a photo with the prospective candidates and the party’s national leader, Mario Delgado.
During the CATEM Congress, which took place on Wednesday at the Arena Ciudad de México, Sheinbaum indicated that the partnership with this labor organization was being formalized, following her inauguration of the first groups designated by the union as committees for the defense of labor transformation. The labor group pledged to establish at least 10,000 of these committees as its “contribution to the transformation.”
In her speech, Sheinbaum enumerated the “great victories” for workers achieved in the last five years under the current federal administration, including the rise in the minimum wage. She highlighted the importance of this change, noting that for 36 years, the country was known for its cheap labor force abroad. “This is why when it is claimed that the neoliberal period resembles the Porfirio Díaz era, or is neo-Porfirismo, it is because, indeed, workers earned less each year,” she remarked.
Additionally, she underscored the “freedom of association” attained through recent reforms, asserting that workers share a common objective: “We do not wish to revert to a past of corruption and privilege.”
Meanwhile, CATEM leader Pedro Haces opposed the reduction of working hours, arguing that it would result in lower wages.
The event saw attendance from the governors of Puebla, Sergio Salomón Céspedes; Quintana Roo, Mara Lezama; Nayarit, Miguel Navarro; Baja California, Marina del Pilar; and Michoacán, Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla.
Also in attendance were Francisco Cervantes, president of the Business Coordinating Council, and Héctor Tejada, president of the Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce, Services, and Tourism (Concanaco Servytur).
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