A copper mine in Mexico has been on strike since July of 2007. They are un-happy about the unsafe working conditions in the mine, along with the lack of health care and the private ownerships nonrecognition of the 70 year old union's elected leadership.
A California based Health and Safety Network reported on the conditions which include: holes in the floor, uncovered electric panels, and a disconnected dust collector which allowed 10 times the amount of dust that is allowed to build up legally. This dust causes a deadly disease called silicosis. The mine has one of the highest rates of accidents in the country.
I think that the Mexican government should shut the mine down. The workers attempt to strike and shut it down was ended when an arbitrator ruled that it was illegal because the workers did not follow the correct procedures. It's amazing how much some companies get away with as far as working conditions and salaries, even when there are laws in the country. Safety laws are being broken and yet the Mexican government is doing little to nothing about it. 1,100 workers remain on strike out of the 1,300 that started. Federal safety inspectors visited the mine in March and cited 256 violations. Yet since then, only small steps have been made to make conditions better. Since the strike the company has seen a 15.8 percent drop in shares. The company is now focusing on a mine in Peru, but workers there have also filed similar complaints against the company.
http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/3861/striking_on_the_shoulders_of_giants/
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