[NYTr] One dead in labor dispute at Mexico copper mine

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

sent by Steven L. Robinson (activ-l)

Reuters - Aug 12, 2007
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N12290484.htm

One dead after miners fight at Mexico copper pit

Reuters

Mexico City - One man was killed in a battle between hundreds of miners
at a Mexican copper mine close to the U.S. border, the government said
on Sunday, the latest violence in a long-running labor conflict.

About 250 miners from two groups fought close to the La Caridad mine in
the northern state of Sonora on Saturday night, state Secretary for the
Interior Roberto Ruibal told Reuters.

"There was a battle between two groups, one group who work at the mine
and another group of former workers," Ruibal said. "One person died,"
he said.

Ruibal said it was not clear how the unidentified man died, but he
denied union claims the man was shot. He said police arrested six
people.

Mexico's mine workers are engaged in a power struggle within the miners
union and with La Caridad owner Grupo Mexico.

The Mexican mining industry has been hit by numerous strikes since last
year by workers loyal to union boss Napoleon Gomez, who is accused of
corruption by other workers and Grupo Mexico.

Three steel workers were shot dead in April 2006 when police used
firearms to try and break a strike at the Lazaro Cardenas steel mill in
western Mexico.

La Caridad produced about 70,000 tonnes of copper last year until it was
closed for months by a strike that only ended when Grupo Mexico fired
all the workers.

Most were rehired under a new contract, but about 80 were not, Ruibal
said.

Grupo Mexico and the union gave conflicting versions of what caused
Saturday's violence, but it appears some of the fired men wanted to
enter the mine and were turned back by a large group of workers.

The union said the man killed was one of the former workers and loyal to
Gomez. Spokeswoman Carmen Romero said the men had won a court ruling
ordering the company to reinstate them.

A strike at La Caridad's larger sister mine Cananea has crippled
production there since July 30. A court decision on legality of the
strike is due next week.