Grupo México 'in the crosshairs' of mineworkers group

The international mining front (FIM) is weighing up whether to include Grupo México among the companies from which the transnational association of mineworkers unions defends miners' rights, considering the conglomerate's alleged reiterated abuses in its operations.

"Grupo México is in the crosshairs of the mineworkers, not only in Mexico, in the world, because it is considered one of the 10 least ethical companies in the world, not just in the mining sector, in all of them,” Napoleón Gómez Urrutia, representative of the FIM and leader of the national union of mining, metallurgical, steel and related workers of Mexico, told press at a union event in Mexico City.

“Wherever they go they bring repression, they bring unjustified dismissals, they bring violations and they even bring deaths. Of course we will eventually include those multinational companies," declared Gómez Urrutia, who is also a senator representing the ruling Morena party.

"In Peru, Grupo México owns Southern Peru Copper Corporation [now Southern Copper Corporation], which is a company that exploits natural resources and labor, and in other countries around the world, so yes, of course” Gómez Urrutia responded to the question of whether the FIM would focus on the Mexico based group as well.

“We have a long and difficult history dealing with Grupo México in the United States. It's a constant battle. It's a battle every time we negotiate, it's a daily battle in the workplace trying to enforce our collective bargaining agreement," said Myles Sullivan, director of District 6 of the United Steelworkers (USW).  

"So, one thing that Grupo México is consistent with is that they treat workers poorly no matter where they operate, even in North America,” he added at the Mexico City union event.

Gómez Urrutia adding that Grupo México's investments in the US are mainly in Arizona and New Mexico. “They are just as aggressive, ruthless and miserable as in the rest of the world. They are in our sights,” he underlined.

Grupo México has a presence in Mexico, the US, Peru and Argentina.  

The FIM was created in January of this year by mining unions from Mexico, Canada, Peru and Argentina to establish ties of collaboration to protect workers from abuses in these countries by US company Newmont and other transnational mining firms.