Concentration of Union Membership in Mexico: CATEM and CTM Dominate

Introduction to Mexico’s Union Landscape

Mexico’s labor union scene is marked by a significant concentration of membership in the largest organizations. According to data from Mexico’s Secretaría del Trabajo y Previsión Social (STPS), compiled by labor expert Jorge Sales, the Confederación Autónoma de Trabajadores y Empleados de México (CATEM) leads with approximately 7 million members, making it the largest union confederation in the country. Following closely is the Confederación de Trabajadores de México (CTM), with around 4.5 million affiliated workers.

National-Reach Unions

Several other national unions exist but have considerably fewer members.

• Sindicato Nacional Minero, Metalúrgico, Siderúrgico y Similares de la República Mexicana (SNTMMSRM): Approximately 1 million members.
• Confederación de Trabajadores y Campesinos (CTC): Around 900,000 members.
• Confederación Revolucionaria de Obreros y Campesinos (CROC): Approximately 500,000 members.

Smaller Unions

The remaining organizations have significantly smaller numbers of members.

• Sindicato de Trabajadores Petroleros de la República Mexicana (STPRM): 91,500 members.
• Sindicato Único de Trabajadores Electricistas de la República Mexicana (SUTERM): 67,732 members.
• Sindicato de Telefonistas de la República Mexicana (STRM): 52,000 members.
• Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Industria Azucarera y Similares de la República Mexicana (STIASRM): 40,000 members.

Minor Unions

The smallest unions include:

• Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Industria de la Caña de Azúcar: 25,000 members.
• Sindicato de Trabajadores Ferrocarrileros de la República Mexicana (STFRM): 23,000 members.
• Confederación Regional Obrera Mexicana (CROM): Around 10,000 members.

Key Questions and Answers

1. What are the two largest union confederations in Mexico? The Confederación Autónoma de Trabajadores y Empleados de México (CATEM) and the Confederación de Trabajadores de México (CTM) are the largest, with approximately 7 million and 4.5 million members, respectively.
2. How many national-reach unions exist in Mexico, and what are they? There are several national-reach unions in Mexico, including the Sindicato Nacional Minero, Metalúrgico, Siderúrgico y Similares de la República Mexicana (SNTMMSRM), Confederación de Trabajadores y Campesinos (CTC), and Confederación Revolucionaria de Obreros y Campesinos (CROC), with members ranging from 1 million to 500,000.
3. What is the situation for smaller unions in Mexico? Smaller unions have considerably fewer members, with examples including the Sindicato de Trabajadores Petroleros de la República Mexicana (STPRM), Sindicato Único de Trabajadores Electricistas de la República Mexicana (SUTERM), Sindicato de Telefonistas de la República Mexicana (STRM), Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Industria Azucarera y Similares de la República Mexicana (STIASRM), Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Industria de la Caña de Azúcar, Sindicato de Trabajadores Ferrocarrileros de la República Mexicana (STFRM), and Confederación Regional Obrera Mexicana (CROM).
4. What does the union landscape in Mexico indicate? The union landscape in Mexico reflects a strong asymmetry, with a limited number of organizations concentrating the majority of affiliated workers.