Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

ILAB Press Release: Joint Communique Of The Third Ministerial Council Meeting Of The Commission For Labor Cooperation [05/16/1996]

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The Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare of Mexico, Javier Bonilla, the Secretary of Labor of the United States, Robert B. Reich, and Canada's Minister of Labour, the Honourable Alfonso Gagliano, today attended the annual meeting of the Ministerial Council of the Commission for Labor Cooperation in Mexico City. The council was created under the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC) which came into effect in January 1994, simultaneously with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation.

Mexican Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare Javier Bonilla chaired this third meeting of the council which reviewed progress under the agreement and developed recommendations for future labor cooperation.

Secretary Bonilla stated that compliance with labor laws in each country as well as collaboration among workers and employers to raise productivity and to enhance working conditions will be the foundation to face future challenges successfully in North America. "Interlocutors in the labor, business and government sectors have increased their interest in dialogue, and traditional labor topics benefit from new points of view," he added.

Secretary Reich said, "The third meeting of the Commission for Labor Cooperation is testimony to the fact that our three countries can work cooperatively to address labor matters as economic relations expand."

Minister Gagliano noted that council meetings are a valuable opportunity to share information and gain the perspectives of his colleagues from the other two countries. "Our discussions about the workplace of the future are particularly relevant as we are undergoing profound and irreversible changes in how we work and how we prepare for our working lives," the minister noted. "My colleagues in the United States and Mexico were also very interested in the recommendations we are studying to modernize the industrial relations section of the Canada Labour Code."

The Ministers of Labor of Mexico, Canada and the United States Confirmed their common purpose as NAFTA partners of promoting employment and improving working conditions and living standards across North America.

Ministers also discussed issues related to high-performance workplaces, the need for retraining and learning to prepare for the future and Mexico's initiative to build a new labor culture.

Secretary Bonilla noted, "Open dialogue among factors of production restores the legitimate value of human work and fosters a favorable environment for job creation." He underscored that the Alliance for the Recovery of Economic Growth joins together the efforts by productive sectors through mechanisms that stimulate job creation, higher incomes for workers, and steady increases in productivity and competitiveness. "The new labor culture and the Alliance for the Recovery of Economic Growth are part of the same effort," he said.

Ministers examined progress to date on two ministerial consultations. Both relate to the principle of freedom of association and workers' right to organize in Mexico and the United States. Ministers agreed that these Consultations foster compliance with, and effective enforcement of, labor legislation in the three countries, reflecting one of the principal objectives of the NAALC.

The ministerial council approved the 1995 Annual Report of the Commission for Labor Cooperation. The report includes activities carried out by the labor Secretariat in Dallas, Texas, as well as the trilateral cooperative work program of seminars, workshops and conferences on topics such as occupational safety and health, industrial relations, employment standards and productivity. The council also approved the 1996 cooperative work program which focuses on strengthening the exchange of information and experiences on labor issues in the three countries, particularly in the areas of workplace training, labor law, gender equity in the workplace, child labor and occupational safety and health.

Minister Gagliano highlighted the benefits of the cooperative work program, mentioning in particular a recent tripartite conference held in Montreal to discuss industrial relations for the 21st century and the opportunities to strengthen working relationships and increase the dialogue on key labor issues across North America.

Secretary Reich noted, "We've come a long way since January 1, 1994, when the NAALC came into force. I am pleased with the progress that has been made in establishing the Secretariat and encouraged by the reports and data-gathering activities they have already started to work on."

The 1996 workplan of the Labor Secretariat includes the preparation of studies and comparative labor profiles of Mexico, Canada and the United States, which are expected to be released in the fall.

In an exchange of views on the labor situation and outlook in each country, labor ministers welcomed this opportunity to renew their commitment to work together for the benefit of workers in Mexico, Canada and the United States.

The next annual meeting of the Ministerial Council of the Commission for Labor Cooperation will take place in the United States in 1997.

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.