Tornel Workers Fear More Attacks Ahead of Strike Referendum

BySilvia Chávez González

This article by Silvia Chávez González originally appeared in the March 20, 2026 edition of La Jornada, Mexico’s premier left wing daily newspaper.

Tultitlán, Mexico. Workers at the Tornel rubber company, on strike since February 23, fear further aggression and intimidation against them as March 22 approaches, the date of the legally mandated consultation in which 1,051 workers, through direct and secret ballot, will be able to confirm that their labour movement has the support of the majority of the union membership.

The employees’ unease stems from an attack they suffered early Wednesday morning, when a group of armed men shot and wounded four employees on guard duty.

Roberto Gutiérrez, Secretary of the Interior of the National Union of Workers of the Tornel Rubber Company, stated that despite the aforementioned attack, the workforce remains steadfast in demanding compliance with their contract.

He stated that in the last hearing before labour courts, legal representatives of the firm based in India arrived at the appointment with a medical prescription from the consortium’s representative in Mexico, “and commented that he was sick, and could not attend the hearing, in an attempt to prolong the procedure.”

He explained that in another recent meeting, the judge handling the case asked that the process continue and that the next stage be completed, which is the consultation with the workforce to begin negotiations with the employer, an exercise that will take place on March 22, apparently in the labour courts of Mexico City.

“We are fighting for something that the company was already paying for, it’s not new, everything we are asking for is within the contract,” Gutiérrez emphasized, after adding that in 2017 the union representation at that time gave in to the non-compliance with several labour clauses.

For now, police surveillance continued yesterday at the plant located on José López Portillo Avenue, in the Cosem neighborhood of the municipality of Tultitlán in the State of Mexico, where four workers were injured by gunfire in the legs, knees and ankles, and are being treated at the Traumatology Hospital of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), located in Lomas Verdes, Naucalpan.

A shock group of 60 men, armed with weapons including guns, assaulted workers on the morning of March 18th

The strike began on February 23 at the four Tornel tire plants in Mexico, and since then the union representation has been demanding compliance with eight clauses of the collective bargaining agreement, including salary increases of 7 and 5 percent corresponding to 2025 and 2026, respectively.

They are also demanding compliance with the 40-hour work week, as it is currently 48 hours; a Christmas bonus of 44 days, not 36 as is currently the case; and a vacation bonus of 25 to 32 days depending on seniority, as well as rest days on the holidays of February 5 and March 21.

It also requires that the employer pay Social Security, not the employees with their wages; mandatory rest on Sundays, and 13 percent savings fund.