Understanding the Importance of the Centro Federal de Conciliación y Registro Laboral (CFCRL)
The relationship between employers and unions in over 40,000 collective bargaining agreements within the Centro Federal de Conciliación y Registro Laboral (CFCRL) must maintain the unique dynamic brought by the labor reform: authentic collective bargaining.
Every agreement made on behalf of workers must be reported to the authority; otherwise, there’s a risk of being disregarded, according to authorities and experts.
CFCRL’s Detection of Non-Compliance
The CFCRL has detected that many agreements are made “in private,” and investigations in the automotive sector indicate that contractual reviews haven’t been conducted since 2021, despite the obligation to review salaries annually and conduct comprehensive contract reviews every two years, which must be put to a vote.
Graciela Bensunsán’s Perspective
Graciela Bensunsán, a labor specialist at UAM-Xochimilco, highlights that one of the significant values of the labor reform is verification. This process involves registering collective contracts and union election processes, all under the CFCRL’s supervision.
Bensunsán explains that the CFCRL’s role includes verifying which unions have not reviewed their contracts post-legitimization. She notes that many organizations complied with contract legitimization “as they could,” but now it’s essential to demonstrate that these organizations maintain leadership among workers, conducting negotiations transparently.
Legal Implications
Bensunsán emphasizes that according to the Federal Labor Law, four years after legitimization voting, contracts cannot go unreviewed. She conducted a study on 214 automotive industry collective contracts and found numerous unreviewed contracts since 2021.
Protecting and Supporting the CFCRL
Given labor advancements, Bensunsán stresses that the federal government must recognize and support the CFCRL’s importance. She explains that insufficient resources hinder the CFCRL from fulfilling its responsibilities effectively.
Bensunsán highlights that verifiers were developed practically, and CFCRL staff required training. She reiterates the need for adequate budgetary support for the CFCRL to function optimally.
Cultural Challenges in Labor Negotiations
Bensunsán acknowledges that deeply ingrained union and employer cultures fail to understand the importance of contractual negotiations. Leaders seek power and resources, while companies aim to avoid genuine negotiations with authentic unions.
