Mexico - January 23, 2019

Workers of Matamoros "maquilas" went on strike

Heroic workers 'struggle against Imperialist bosses and union bureaucracy

The proletariat of the “maquilas” in the North of Mexico started fighting. Since last Saturday 12 of January, more than forty thousand workers of the forty five “maquilas" of Matamoros city, Tamaulipas on Texas' border, facing the "charra” union bureaucracy went on strike demanding 20% ​​salary increase and a compensation bonus.

It is an upraise of overexploited slaves in the Yankees' and German's transnationals "maquilas" in Mexico.

In Matamoros more than eight thousand workers earn an average salary of US S 210 a month, one of the most miserable in Latin America. In spite of this, they receive part of their salaries in tickets they can only use to buy in the companies, like in the ranches and mines during XIX century.

This is the real Mexico, that of workers' slavery, subdued by imperialism, under the government of López Obrador (AMLO). He calls himself a friend of the people when he is really the new defender of the great capital in Mexico.

The workers of the "maquilas" raised up against the slaveowner bosses that export to USA auto parts, vehicles accessories, electronic devices, textile industry, computer products, etc., like GM, Ford and Fiat Chrysler.

One hundred million dollars is the estimated cost of the strike. That is the surplus value that imperialism takes from the workers of the Mexican "maquilas” through labor slavery!

But they also raise against their internal enemy the "charra" union bureaucracy. They marched to the local union shouting "Out with the union!" “Out with Villafuerte!”. Posters saying: "The workers of Matamoros will never pay anymore 4% of union fee. There cannot be rich union with poor workers” can be seen on the walls of the city.

The bosses' chamber wants to impose on the workers, a trap that supports behind the scenes, the mayor Mario López, from Morena, the party of AMLO.

But the workers do not give up. The strike continues and on January 25 a Global Day for the Working Class of Matamoros is called, with demonstrations and protests in favor of the comrades.

This struggle is one of the battles of the world working class against the labor slavery imposed by the parasites of international financial capital. Its allies are the millions of Latin workers in the US, advanced in the struggle of the Latin American exploited in the heart of the imperialist beast, and the American proletariat, harshly attacked by the very transnationals that enslave the workers of Mexico and all of Latin America.
The American workers urgently need to unify their struggle with the Latin American workers and peasants.
We must forge a unified struggle for wages of US $ 15 an hour to the north and south of the Rio Grande!
No wall among the exploited of the continent! In defense of the Honduran siblings who seek bread and shelter in the USA!

One class, one international struggle from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego!

For the working class to live, imperialism must die!
May the workers and socialist revolution return!