Background on Tereso Medina and CTM
Tereso Medina serves as the General Secretary Adjunto of the Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM) and leads the CTM in Coahuila. As a prominent labor leader, Medina’s opinions carry significant weight within Mexico’s trade union landscape. The CTM, of which Medina is a part, represents numerous workers across various sectors and industries.
INE’s Prohibition Against Union Involvement in Judicial Election Information
Medina expressed concern over the Instituto Nacional Electoral (INE)’s decision to prohibit unions from disseminating information about the upcoming judicial election, scheduled for June 1st. He believes that this move represents an overreach by the INE, as it interferes with the autonomy of labor organizations.
CTM’s Stance and Legal Action
In response to this prohibition, Medina and the CTM filed a legal challenge (recurso de impugnación) against the INE. They argue that workers have a right to know the candidates for judge, magistrate, and minister positions participating in the election. Medina emphasized that unions should be able to exercise their responsibility and right to promote democratic and free voting.
Invading Societal Sphere
Medina contends that the INE’s actions invade the legitimate domain of civil society. He asserts that without any identified risk to electoral equity, the state is unjustifiably interfering in autonomous civic activities. This interference, according to Medina, undermines the culture of dialogue that unions have cultivated.
CTM’s Shift from Corporatist Structures
Medina clarified that unions are no longer corporatist structures since 2019. He explained that comparing unions to political parties is inaccurate, as workers are part of civil society with the responsibility to inform one another about electoral processes. Furthermore, unions autonomously manage and organize their meetings in union facilities without any public resources.
Violation of OIT Convention 87
Medina argued that the INE’s actions violate Convention 87 of the International Labour Organization (ILO), which mandates that public authorities should refrain from interfering with trade union autonomy.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the issue at hand? The INE has prohibited unions from sharing information about upcoming judicial elections.
- Why is Tereso Medina concerned? Medina believes the INE’s decision oversteps its authority and interferes with union autonomy.
- What is the CTM’s response? The CTM, led by Medina, has filed a legal challenge against the INE’s decision.
- How does Medina view the INE’s actions? Medina considers the INE’s decision to be censorship rather than impartiality, violating ILO Convention 87.
- What is the CTM’s stance on informing workers about elections? Medina asserts that it is a democratic duty to inform and promote electoral processes, especially for new types of elections affecting one of the Union’s powers.
Impact on Workers’ Rights and Democratic Participation
Medina emphasized that the INE’s decision infringes on workers’ rights as members of civil society to make informed decisions about the best candidates for judicial positions. He stressed that workers should have the freedom to participate in this new form of justice administration.
