U.S. - Mexico - Canada workplace safety partnership draws fire
The Trinational Occupational Safety and Health Working Group, a creation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) labor side agreement in July 2002, uses technical experts from the U.S., Mexico and Canada to build cooperation and programs in occupational safety and health. But the group will not deal with real-life obstacles to effective enforcement of safety regulations in any of the three countries, charges the Maquiladora Health & Safety Support Network.
Garrett Brown, coordinator of the grassroots group, blasts the Working Group for holding "secret meetings" for government officials that exclude workers, the press and public and ignore a five-year campaign by Mexican workers to get the Mexican government to enforce its safety regulations in U.S.-owned and -operated auto parts plants on the U.S.-Mexican border.