Note published on March 25 in El Economista, Empresas [Companies] Section by María del Pilar Martínez.
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Employees voted in favor of the collective bargaining agreement negotiated by the Independent Union of the Free and Democratic Workers of Saint-Gobain México.
Workers of the company of French origin, Saint-Gobain, voted in favor of the collective bargaining agreement negotiated by the Independent Union of the Free and Democratic Workers of Saint-Gobain México.
1,627 valid votes were cast during the voting period, with 1,610 being in favor of the project, while 17 votes against it were registered. And four votes were annulled.
Joaquín Guzmán, general secretary of the Union, stated that this is a vote of confidence for this union that emerged independently after the labor reform.
“It is a new, reformed agreement; it was not easy at all to negotiate it with the company, but the results that we obtained were accepted, the votes are proof of this. It is something that we had never achieved in 20 years, we had not been able to obtain it and we are now seeing the difference between a fully democratic union and a “charro” [protection] union”, Guzmán pointed out.
As part of the negotiation with the company, a direct increase to salary of 9% and of 2% in benefits were defined.
The general secretary stated that the improvement of the working conditions is progressing and he said that the Union is willing to support the demands of its affiliates.
“This victory belongs to the workers and we thank all of them for their trust, we are their union, we are here to support them and ensure their labor rights,” Guzmán emphasized.
The Saint-Gobain company supplies glass to the automotive industry through the manufacture of windshields, sunroofs, and side and rear windows. It is a supplier to automakers such as Audi, Mazda, Nissan and Volkswagen.
Meanwhile, Oscar de la Vega, legal representative of the Saint Gobain company, stated that these are the new processes of union democracy with an independent union, in which the clauses of democracy transfer the power of decision to the workers, and the union becomes merely an intermediary within the collective bargaining negotiation processes.”
He also said that companies and unions must strengthen their channels of direct communication with the workers, “otherwise, there will be conflicts deriving from the divorce between workers’ bases and union leaders.”
He pointed out that the democratic processes “will also require that companies are consistent with their financial situation and the salary conditions granted to the workers.”
In this sense, it is fundamental that salary increases are related to the productivity of each company”, De la Vega explained.
