At the XV Ordinary Congress of the Autonomous Confederation of Workers and Employees of Mexico (CATEM) held in Mexico City, Claudia Sheinbaum, National Coordinator of the Committees for the Defense of the Fourth Transformation, committed to upholding what she referred to as the significant achievements of the 4T in the labor sector.
“I pledge to the workers of Mexico that we will persist in defending their wages and labor rights, as we understand that when workers thrive, businesses and the entire nation prosper,” declared the virtual presidential pre-candidate for Morena and its allies. She stressed that “for Mexico to continue to succeed, we must stay the course.”
Earlier, Sheinbaum chaired a meeting at Morena’s national headquarters with nine state coordinators dedicated to the defense of the transformation, who are set to take on candidacies for governorships and the capital’s government in the coming year. “In the 4T, we stand united. We are with the people of Mexico to enhance and progress this revival of public life in Mexico,” stated the Morena leader while sharing a photo with the prospective candidates and the party’s national leader, Mario Delgado.
During the CATEM Congress, which took place on Wednesday at the Arena Ciudad de México, Sheinbaum highlighted that the alliance with this labor organization is being formalized, following her inauguration of the first groups designated by the union as committees for labor transformation defense. The labor organization has pledged to establish at least 10,000 of these committees as its “contribution to the transformation.”
In her speech, Sheinbaum outlined the “great victories” for workers achieved over the past five years under the current federal administration, including the rise in the minimum wage. She noted the importance of this, given that the country’s inexpensive labor was promoted internationally for 36 years. “That’s why when people say that the neoliberal era resembles the Porfirio Díaz period, or is neo-Porfirismo, it’s because, in fact, workers earned less each year,” she remarked.
She also emphasized the “freedom of association” gained through reforms in this field, asserting that workers are united by a common aim: “We do not wish to return to a past marked by corruption and privilege.”
Meanwhile, CATEM leader Pedro Haces expressed opposition to the reduction of working hours, arguing that it would result in lower wages.
The event was attended by the governors of Puebla, Sergio Salomón Céspedes; Quintana Roo, Mara Lezama; Nayarit, Miguel Navarro; Baja California, Marina del Pilar; and Michoacán, Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla.
Also in attendance were Francisco Cervantes, president of the Business Coordinating Council, and Héctor Tejada, president of the Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce, Services, and Tourism (Concanaco Servytur).
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