Claudia Sheinbaum confirms an alliance of CATEM with the ideas of the Fourth Transformation at its XV National Ordinary Congress.

Before the assembly 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, National Coordinator of the Committees in Defense of the Fourth Transformation, confirmed the alliance between CATEM, led by Senator Pedro Haces Barba, and the Fourth Transformation.

During the swearing-in of the 10,000 Labor Defense Committees for the Fourth Transformation promoted by CATEM, Sheinbaum Pardo expressed her ongoing commitment to labor rights and increasing the minimum wage in Mexico. Additionally, she pledged to continue supporting improvements in training and other benefits such as union freedom. She emphasized that the country has undergone significant changes and reaffirmed the determination not to regress to the past.

Pedro Haces Barba, the national leader of CATEM, thanked Sheinbaum for her presence as a special guest and highlighted that CATEM is and will continue to be an integral part of the Casa de la Cuarta Transformación, committed to transforming Mexico.

At the XV National Ordinary Congress of CATEM, before Sheinbaum’s arrival, delegates from over 1,192 union organizations unanimously voted to amend the statutes. Haces Barba emphasized that CATEM represents modern unionism in Mexico with a notable international presence and underscored the pride in being a force that provides hope to thousands of workers in the country, setting the pace for new times and advocating for better working conditions and quality of life for Mexican families.

Pedro Haces Barba highlighted the historic achievements in labor matters driven by the current government. Among these, he highlighted the approval of Convention 98 of the International Labor Organization (ILO), which seeks to establish speedy and equitable labor justice for all workers in Mexico.

Additionally, he mentioned the approval of what he termed as the “reform of the century,” a labor reform that amended over 50% of the Federal Labor Law, allowing workers to freely choose their union for the first time in the country’s history. He also mentioned the ability now granted to workers to vote on their collective bargaining agreements.

Haces Barba also acknowledged the historic increases in the minimum wage over the past years: a 16% increase in 2019, 20% in 2020, 15% in 2021, 22% in 2022, and 20% in 2023, raising the minimum wage from 88.36 pesos to 207.44 pesos in five years. He attributed these advances to President López Obrador, who has prioritized the interests of workers in the labor policy of his administration.

The leader of CATEM also stressed the importance of entrepreneurs in job creation and stated that new times demand leaving behind old disputes that no longer have a place.

At the XV National Congress, CATEM reaffirmed its commitment to the labor transformation of Mexico, emphasizing job security as a fundamental goal of modern unionism.

The event was attended by several special 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, as well as federal and local legislators, and prominent businessmen such as 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.