Mexican steelworkers blockade plant after 2 killed
Staff and agencies
21 April, 2006
By Tim Gaynor and Noel Randewich 1 hour, 47 minutes ago
MEXICO CITY - Striking Mexican workers kept up their blockade of a steel complex on Friday, a day after clashes with police that killed two.
Hundreds of police stormed the Sicartsa complex in the western state of Michoacan on Thursday, shooting dead two workers as a running battle with stone-throwing strikers spilled out onto the streets.
Presidential spokesman Ruben Aguilar said violence at the plant, which had been shut for three weeks by a strike that was subsequently ruled to be illegal, was "regrettable."
"It could have been avoided if the union had obeyed the law. The rule of law implies respect for the law," Aguilar told a news conference.
But Mexicos human rights commission and a U.S. labor organization condemned the governments handling of the tragedy. "Under other circumstances heads would fall at the highest level," commission head Jose Luis Soberanes said.
"It astonishes me that in the federal government its as if nothing happened."
Despite the violence, police failed to maintain control of the plant and workers were again blocking entry to Sicartsa on Friday.
"Were waiting for the installations to be returned to us because theyre being illegally occupied," said Ignacio Trevino, chief financial officer of steel producer Villacero, which owns the complex.
He said the strike was preventing steel production worth about $3 million a day.
The steelworkers are striking in defense of a union boss whom the government accuses of graft.
Dozens of workers were injured on Thursday when some 600 police moved into the plant early in the morning firing tear gas canisters.
Workers later fought running battles with uniformed riot police outside the plant, hurling rocks and molotov cocktails, and torching cars.
It was the worst clash since thousands of mine and metal workers across the country went on strike last month in defense of union boss Napoleon Gomez.
Gomez, accused of fraud involving the disappearance of millions of dollars of workers funds, was ousted in February, according to the government, which now recognizes a new leader.
But many union members reject the new leader and still support Gomez, who has not been seen in public for several weeks.
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations attacked the Mexican government for meddling in the unions affairs.
"The Mexican federal government, and in particular Labor (Minister) Francisco Salazar, have contributed to this tragedy," the organization said in a statement.
The dispute followed a mining accident in northern Mexico in February when 65 workers died in an underground gas explosion, sparking angry protests over mine safety and the failure of rescue teams to reach the bodies.
Striking miners have also shut down copper producer Grupo Mexicos La Caridad mine, badly hurting the companys output and helping to send international prices for the red metal to record highs.