Steel Mills

Court rules against striking workers at ArcelorMittal Mexico

Written by Ethan Bernard

July 18, 2024

A labor judge in Mexico City has ruled that the strike of a local mining union is illegal at ArcelorMittal Mexico’s Lazaro Cardenas mill and Las Truchas mine in Michoacán state, Mexico.

ArcelorMittal Mexico said on July 12 that the judge denied the protection requested by the mining union “considering that work was suspended prior to the date of the official announcement of the strike.”

Based on the Fifth District Judge in Matters of Labor in Mexico City’s decision, the company “reiterated that the workers and their union are carrying out an illegal suspension of work without legal basis or reason.”

ArcelorMittal Mexico also said it “constitutes a legal reason for a cause of force majeure to occur,” and the ability to terminate employment. This is “being processed before the Collective Labor Courts in Mexico City,” according to the company’s statement.

Earlier this month, the union rejected a proposal from ArcelorMittal Mexico to end the strike.

Operations at the mill and Las Truchas mine have been suspended since the workers’ blockade began in May. July 12 marked the 50th day of the strike.

Requests for comment from the Sindicato Minero union and ArcelorMittal Mexico were not returned by time of publication.

Ethan Bernard

Ethan Bernard is managing editor for Steel Market Update. He previously worked for American Metal Market as a copy editor in the New York office for two years, starting in 2008. Later, he copy edited AMM’s monthly magazine on a freelance basis from 2015 until 2017. With experience in financial copywriting and textbook publishing, he holds a BA in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley, and an MFA. in Creative Writing from New York University. He can be reached at ethan@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7871.

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