Volkswagen México Has 15 Days to Comply With Rulings on Anti-union Discrimination

ByPatricia Gutiérrez Rodríguez

This article by Patricia Gutiérrez Rodríguez originally appeared in the April 23, 2026 issue of La Jornade de Oriente, the Puebla edition of La Jornada, Mexico’s premier left wing daily newspaper.

Following the rulings and fines issued against it on March 31 for engaging in anti-union discrimination against former union representatives Víctor Hugo Larios Flores and Vladimir Girón Many, whose work areas were changed and whose economic compensation was reduced after their union duties ended in 2024, Volkswagen de México has 15 days to reinstate them to their original positions, the affected parties reported in an interview with La Jornada de Oriente, after going yesterday to the Federal Labor Attorney’s Office (PROFEDET).

The German firm, based in Puebla, was notified on April 6th and the deadline for it to comply with the ruling will expire on the 27th of this month, although it is possible that it could seek protection against it.

Larios Flores, a former divisional assistant delegate, recounted that on April 14th, without further explanation, the company reassigned him to the machinery maintenance workshop. He maintains that this procedure is not appropriate, as the company should formalize the matter in court; otherwise, he risks being reassigned again at any time. “I believe it should be this way, since the trial took place outside of the company,” he told this news outlet.

The worker emphasized that he has yet to receive any support from the Independent Union of Volkswagen Automotive Industry Workers (SITIAVW). He further stated that even when he was reassigned, Daniel Cabrera, Volkswagen’s Production Manager, told him explicitly that the decision was “an agreement between the company and the union.”

That would explain why Hugo Tlalpan Luna, the union’s general secretary, refused to meet with him after making him wait two hours at the union offices. “At first, he told me we could talk about my situation, but the truth is he didn’t want to see me, or couldn’t see me, because another one of his secretaries arrived and told me he was very busy and wouldn’t be able to see me,” he explained.

Victor Hugo commented that he no longer expects anything from the leader of SITIAVW.

The Company Does Not Respect Its Own Principles

Vladimir Girón Many, who was a member of the Loan Fund Commission during the term of former Secretary General José Juan Hernández, and was sent from the “productive coordination” area to another operations area for the placement and adjustment of Taos spoilers, indicated that he has not yet been returned to his original position, so he hopes that the company will comply with the ruling that orders it to place him in a position appropriate to his category as a specialist technician.

He stated that it is regrettable that the assembly plant does not comply with the Declaration of Neutrality that it had to generate and publish, obligated by the activation process of the USMCA’s Rapid Response Labour Mechanism, which was used by workers dismissed between the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024, as well as the Volkswagen de México Guidelines relating to Freedom of Association, Union Freedom and other union activities that it made those who participated in the SITIAVW Executive Committee elections sign three years ago.

It is worth remembering that both Vladimir and Victor Hugo were part of opposition slates to the Labour Justice slate, which had Hugo Tlalpan Luna as its candidate.

The Neutrality Declaration states that the transnational company has as principles, among others, “non-interference and a zero-tolerance policy… against any retaliation in relation to any exercise of the rights of association and collective bargaining and any intimidation by or against our workers”; it also reaffirms the commitment not to retaliate against, discriminate against, harass or abuse any worker by virtue of union preference or affiliation.

The guidelines mention that Volkswagen and its representatives are prohibited from harassing, discriminating against, threatening, abusing, or bullying any worker because of their union activities or preferences or for any other reason.

Like Victor Hugo, Vladimir complains that neither Hugo Tlalpan nor the Secretary of Labour, Silverio Fuentes, helped him defend himself against the company’s decisions; he also had no support from the divisional secretaries Delfino Briteño and Eduardo Alfaro; nor from the delegates Abel Hernandez, Jesus Limon, Saul Garcia, Marco Polo, Jorge Calvario and Julio Ortuño.