LatinNews Daily - 19 October 2023

*Mexico’s ministries of labour (STPS) and economy (SE) have announced the conclusion of an internal investigation following a US-requested review into Aerotransportes Mas de Carga (Mas Air), a Mexico City-based airline that provides cargo transportation services. Last month the Mexican government accepted a request to review whether pilots at Mas Air were being denied the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining. The request was presented by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on 30 August. According to a joint statement by the STPS and SE, the review is said to have “determined the existence of certain actions that could have constituted violations of Mexican labour legislation and a denial of rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining by the company”. The statement went on to highlight corrective actions taken by Mas Air in accordance with the STPS during the review period. These include the publication of a letter of neutrality and code of conduct, training for pilots on their rights to union freedom and collective bargaining, publication of a list of workers with voting rights, and a call and guidelines for a vote recount. In accordance with applicable Mexican labour laws, settlement agreements were reached for dismissed pilots and one pilot was reinstated. The statement reiterated the Mexican government’s “commitment to ensuring the application and respect of the collective rights of Mexican workers”.