Striking Workers at Tornel Rubber Call for Government Intervention

ByJared Laureles and Alexia Villaseñor

This article by Jared Laureles and Alexia Villaseñor originally appeared in the March 26, 2026 edition of La Jornada, Mexico’s premier left wing daily newspaper.

Due to the refusal of the rubber company Tornel to negotiate and following the shooting attack suffered by striking workers a week ago, the latter demanded that the federal government intervene directly to resolve the conflict and ensure that the violation of their labour rights and the actions of the employer do not go unpunished.

Gerardo Meneses Ávila, general secretary of the National Union of Workers of the Tornel Rubber Company, reported that, even though the company’s representatives were notified in advance, they did not attend the dialogue meeting convened by the Federal Center for Conciliation and Labour Registration on Tuesday, which “demonstrates a lack of will” and constitutes a breach that aggravates the conflict.

However, he reiterated to the director of the tire company JK Tornel, Neeraj Jain, his willingness to build agreements that would allow a solution to the strike that broke out on February 23 at the four plants, in Mexico City and the State of Mexico.

“We are requesting the direct intervention of the President of the Republic, Claudia Sheinbaum; of the three branches of government, as well as the Secretary of Labor, Marath Bolaños, and the Secretaries of the Interior and Economy, as well as the Governor of the State of Mexico, Delfina Gómez, to prevent labor rights from being violated.”

Four workers were shot during an attack on the picket line by a shock group of 60 men in the early morning of March 18.

In an interview, the union leader stressed the urgency of addressing the conflict at the federal level, since, in addition to fearing further attacks, one month after the red and black flags were raised, more than 2,000 families – of unionized workers and management personnel – and more than 20,000 indirect jobs have been affected.

Last Sunday, he recalled, out of 1,050 unionized workers, nearly 900 voted in favor of maintaining the strike, in a recount carried out before the Federal Labour Court of Collective Affairs.

“There is definitely reluctance. The company is exploring every possibility to avoid complying with the collective bargaining agreement. It is neither possible nor legal for our employer to continue shirking their labour responsibilities without any authority to compel them to comply with the law,” he stated.

Meneses Ávila added that charges of attempted homicide have already been filed for the shooting attack early Wednesday morning, while they were on night duty at the plant on José López Portillo Avenue in the State of Mexico. Four workers were injured; two remain hospitalized and are awaiting surgery, he said.

He reiterated that the demand is for compliance with the collective bargaining agreement, including salary increases of 7 and 5 percent corresponding to 2025 and 2026, respectively, as well as a 40-hour work week, and not 48 hours as it is currently, and that the employer pay social security.