Note published in La Jornada de Oriente, Puebla – Economía y Ecología [Puebla – Economy and Ecology] Section by Patricia Gutiérrez
Read the note in its original source
Children, grandchildren or nephews/nieces of Volkswagen unionized workers that retire will be able to inherit their positions starting this year.
The leader of the Volkswagen Independent Union of Automotive Industry Workers (SITIAVW), José Juan Hernández López, confirmed in a press conference that this was one of the agreements reached on Tuesday with the German assembler.
That day, the leader announced that 60-year-old union members, as well as those union members that have any medical restriction, could retire and leave their place to an immediate family member.
Yesterday, he explained that Clause 85 of the collective bargaining agreement, which states that the company must grant 80 retirements a year, now includes that retirees can bequeath their job position.
He said that Clause 17 establishes the requirements for being hired by the German assembler, which include, among others, being at least 18 years old, having completed studies up to the 9th grade and passing the exams conducted by the company, including a medical examination.
Nevertheless, he stated that there are details that still need to be worked out with the company, such as the need for the immediate family member to have all the necessary skills for the position that he or she will fill.
“We have to search, and we have to see, when a process is started, we still have to refine the details of this at the tables or meetings”.
He emphasized that the reviewing committee also rejected the bank of hours, given that unionized workers have always been opposed to that work scheme.
José Juan Hernández itemized the 5.46 percent increase that they agreed upon with the German Firm: 3.62 percent goes directly to salary, 0.75 percent to the savings fund, 0.54 will be destined to the extension of two days to the vacation bonus and 0.55 percent of increase to the percentual value.
The matter of a salary of 16 dollars per hour was addressed in the negotiation.
In this year’s negotiations between the SITIAVW and Volkswagen, the matter of a salary of 16 dollars per hour that workers in the automotive industry should receive was addressed, because this was agreed upon in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
Arturo Blázquez Guevara, legal representative of the union, stated that, despite the fact that this will not be an easy path, there will be fewer difficulties in the assembler’s plant to reach that income level.
“Today, Volkswagen workers are at the top of the automotive industry, and this allows Volkswagen to have fewer complications to reach the goal of reaching those averages required by the USMCA”.
In the opinion of Arturo Blázquez, the salary agreement that the union achieved with the company this year is aimed at paving the way to reaching the abovementioned amount per hour worked.
