- Dr. Claudia Sheinbaum, as the National Coordinator of the Committees in Defense of the Fourth Transformation, administered the oath to the Labor Defense Committees proposed by CATEM.
- During its XV National Ordinary Congress, CATEM unanimously endorsed the revision of its statutes.
- A crowd of over 25,000 people assembled at the Arena CDMX in Azcapotzalco.
- Throughout Mexico, 1,192 organizations affiliated with CATEM participated.
- In her role as National Coordinator of the Committees in Defense of the Fourth Transformation, Claudia Sheinbaum inaugurated the Labor Defense Committees proposed by CATEM.
Before a gathering of 25,000 delegates from the Confederation of Autonomous Workers and Employees of Mexico (CATEM) at the Arena Ciudad de México in Azcapotzalco, Dr. Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, as the National Coordinator of the Committees in Defense of the Fourth Transformation, affirmed the alliance between CATEM, led by Senator Pedro Haces Barba, and the Fourth Transformation.
During the inauguration of the 10,000 Labor Defense Committees for the Fourth Transformation promoted by CATEM, Sheinbaum Pardo reiterated her ongoing commitment to labor rights and the increase of Mexico’s minimum wage. She also pledged continued support for improvements in training and other benefits such as union freedom, highlighting the significant changes the country has undergone and reaffirming a commitment not to regress.
Pedro Haces Barba, the national leader of CATEM, expressed appreciation to Sheinbaum for her presence as a special guest and underscored CATEM’s integral role in the Casa de la Cuarta Transformación, dedicated to Mexico’s ongoing transformation.
At CATEM’s XV National Ordinary Congress, before Sheinbaum’s arrival, delegates from over 1,192 union organizations unanimously voted to amend their statutes. Haces Barba emphasized CATEM’s representation of modern unionism in Mexico with a robust international presence, emphasizing their role in instilling hope among thousands of workers and advocating for improved working conditions and quality of life for Mexican families.
Haces Barba highlighted the government’s historic achievements in labor matters, including the approval of International Labor Organization Convention 98, aimed at ensuring swift and fair labor justice for all Mexican workers. He also noted the passage of what he described as the “reform of the century,” a significant overhaul of the Federal Labor Law granting workers the freedom to choose their union and vote on collective bargaining agreements for the first time in Mexican history.
Recognizing historic increases in the minimum wage in recent years—16% in 2019, 20% in 2020, 15% in 2021, 22% in 2022, and 20% in 2023—Haces Barba attributed these advancements to President López Obrador’s prioritization of workers’ interests in his administration’s labor policies.
Emphasizing the role of entrepreneurs in job creation, Haces Barba stressed the need to move beyond outdated disputes in these transformative times.
At the XV National Congress, CATEM reaffirmed its commitment to Mexico’s labor transformation, placing a strong emphasis on ensuring job security—an essential pillar of modern unionism.
The event attracted numerous distinguished guests, including governors such as Marina del Pilar Ávila from Baja California, Miguel Ángel Navarro from Nayarit, Mara Lezama from Quintana Roo, Sergio Salomón Céspedes from Puebla, Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla from Michoacán, federal and local legislators, and prominent businessmen like Juan Francisco Ealy Ortiz, José Miguel Becos, Miguel Rincón Arredondo, Reyes Soberanis Moreno, Guadalupe Phillips Margain, Carlos Peralta Quintero, Alfredo Domínguez Marrufo, Placido Humberto Morales Vázquez, Congressman Manuel Baldenegro, Juan Domingo Beckmann, and Rodrigo Ramírez.
