“In previous governments that would not have happened,” Salazar said at an event in Mexico City along with Mexican labor officials. “Now, because of the relationship we have (…) the workers who have paid with their sweat are going to receive the reward they deserve,” he added.
The US Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, which enforces labor laws and recovers unpaid wages, determined who was owed back wages through its inspections of workplaces, the Secretary said. of Labor of Mexico in a statement.
The office will share a list of names with Mexican officials so they can try to locate the workers, many of whom had not been paid the legal minimum wage or paid overtime.
The officials did not detail the industries or companies that had hired the workers or the period for which they were owed.
Thea Lee, deputy assistant secretary for international affairs at the US Department of Labor, said the effort to help Mexican workers was a pilot program that showed her government’s commitment to working in the country, regardless of their immigration status.
“They deserve protection under our laws,” he said in a video link at the event.
Mexico will also launch a public campaign to encourage workers to come forward if they believe they qualify for the checks.
“The goal ahead is to find the 13,000,” said the Mexican Secretary of Labor, Luisa Alcalde.
(Edited in Spanish by Adriana Barrera)
