Strengthening Mexican Inspectorate for Labor Enforcement (CAMINOS)

In February 2017, Mexico enacted landmark constitutional reforms that aim to transform its labor justice system into a more transparent and impartial system to better protect freedom of association and collective bargaining rights. In May 2019, the President of Mexico signed into law the necessary legislation to fully implement the 2017 constitutional reforms. Under Mexico’s Federal Labor Law, the Decent Work Unit (UTD) is charged with monitoring labor law compliance, providing labor compliance assistance, and identifying and reporting labor law violations to Ministry of Labor (STPS) authorities, among other responsibilities. Despite STPS’ commitment to improved labor enforcement, the UTD continues to be hampered by institutional, technological, training, inspection instrument, resource, legal, data, and other limitations. Such limitations—more acute at the state level—undermine inspections’ deterrent effect and contribute to widespread noncompliance and failure to remediate violations.