State-Labour Relations in Mexico: Opening up the Black Box

Abstract

Since telephone worker union dissidents ousted their unpopular charro leader and set up a new, elected, leadership in 1976, the final year of an administration which had been characterized by ‘independent’ union breakaway movements, the Sindicato de Telefonistas de la República Mexicana (STRM) has prided itself on being one of the most open, democratic and progressive of Mexico’s leading unions. This assertion was fortified during the Salinas sexenio since the president promoted the STRM as the exemplary model which should be emulated by all other unions. The STRM opted to cooperate with the policy of privatization, unlike many other unions. One of the most infamous and important cases was that of the oilworkers’ union PEMEX whose leader, La Quina, openly opposed the privatization of the oil company. Other unions organized strikes in an attempt to oppose privatization of their company such as those of the airline union, Aeroméxico.¹