Court Orders Tizapa Mining to Pay 100% of Lost Wages to Striking Workers

This article by Jared Laureles and Jessica Xantomila first appeared in the June 13th, 2025 edition of La Jornada, Mexico’s premier leftist daily newspaper.

Mexico City. The Federal Labor Court for Collective Affairs ruled that the strike, which has been ongoing for more than nine months by workers from Section 219 of the National Mining Union, is “attributable” to the Tizapa Mining Company of the Peñoles Group, and ordered it to pay 100 percent of back wages.

By ruling that the company is responsible for the strike, the labor authority also requires it to remedy the contractual violations it “arbitrarily incurred, to the detriment” of workers’ rights.

The National Mining Union, headed by Morena federal deputy Napoleón Gómez Urrutia, emphasized that this is a “historic ruling” because it demonstrates that “reason and law are on the side” of the workers who, since August 30, 2024, have placed the red and black flags at the mine located in Zacazonapan, State of Mexico.

The union organization stated that it will continue its commitment to reviewing the distribution of profits.

This is one of the reasons why the strike broke out at the world’s largest silver producer, as it has refused to pay 10 percent of profits to miners, despite it being a constitutional right.

The demand for full compliance with their collective bargaining agreement and improved safety conditions are also the reasons why the movement erupted.

“From the beginning, the company banked on attrition and attempted to sow division among the workforce. It even requested that labor authorities declare the strike void, but the Federal Labor Court for Collective Affairs, based in Mexico City, declared it ‘legally existent’ after a democratic vote,” the union recalled.

He also recognized the miners of section 219, who have remained “firm and determined” in the strike, as well as the Mayor of Zacazonapan, Villafaña Nava.