AMLO asks Fertinal workers for “a break” to resolve a request for profit sharing

Alonso Urrutia, Emir Olivares and Jared Laureles

Newspaper La Jornada
Wednesday, September 7, 2022, p. eleven

Even though the Secretary of Labor determined that the strike launched by the union in Fertinal had no legal basis, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador indicated that they will respect the proposals of the workers, focused on the distribution of profits. However, he stressed that for now your petition cannot be attended to; We would like to, but Fertinal was left in ruins, because it was one of those companies that they bought at extremely high prices, there is still a debt in Nacional Financiera of a lot of money.

Meanwhile, the Mining Union obtained a provisional suspension against the declaration of non-existence of the work stoppage at the plant owned by Pemex, for which it remains firm until the judge determines whether to grant the definitive suspension and then the amparo.

During his morning conference, López Obrador stressed that his government is making a great effort not to close these companies (which he equated with the case of Agronitrogenados, linked to businessman Alonso Ancira), which were two plants that were reacquired. He pointed out that the main demand is the distribution of profits, similar to what (the same union organization) requested from the Mittal steel company, which obtained large profits because the price of steel rose.

However, he explained that equal treatment cannot be given to the unequal, since Fertinal is a public company that also produces fertilizers, which are being delivered free of charge to farmers to encourage agricultural production. López Obrador offered that yes, it will be useful, but forward, and that they give us a break so that there is more fertilizer for the people of the field.

He stressed that his government is only requesting time, We have already asked the union leader in these terms, in addition, without influence of any kind, we asked the Secretary of Labor to resolve, but there is no legal basis; in any case, we are going to be respectful. But let them understand what I am proposing to them, because who knows what the leaders are telling them.

Regarding the favorable ruling for the moment for the Mining Union, the federal labor court granted the precautionary measure, but did not publish the resolution and the reasons for the determination.

Nahir Velasco, legal adviser to the union headed by Senator Napoleón Gómez Urrutia, indicated that on Monday night the Federal Conciliation and Arbitration Board declared, illegally, the strike did not exist that since August 26 the workers of section 274, in Lázaro Cárdenas, exploded.

The Federal Board is prejudging, in its resolution it ordered 24 hours for the workers to return to work, they wanted to evict them by force and obviously there is a line from the Ministry of Laborhe pointed.

Óscar Alzaga, also a lawyer for the miners, pointed out that the JFCA argued clumsily and unsubstantiated the non-existence of the strike, since -he indicated- it resolves that Fertinal did not generate profits in 2021, when it is not the authority responsible for determining it.