General Motors' technical strike in Ramos Arizpe will affect 3,500 workers: Tereso Medina

Monterrey, NL. The General Motors (GM) plant in Ramos Arizpe will implement a technical strike from April 28 to May 2, affecting 3,500 workers, confirmed Tereso Medina Ramírez, general secretary of the Coahuila Workers Federation and national leader of the CTM at GM. The return to work is scheduled for May 5.

The union leader explained that the technical strike was agreed upon with the automaker as long as no work orders are canceled, with the aim of preserving jobs amid uncertainty over tariff adjustments.

"I've always said these are painful, even unpopular measures. GM was able to cover 65% of salaries, respect 100% of benefits and profits, and ensure that May 1st, a holiday, is paid at full capacity," Tereso Medina Ramírez told El Economista .

"During negotiations with the automaker, GM's commitment is to carry out this technical strike, as long as no work orders are canceled; we are protecting jobs," the union leader emphasized.

Unions are concerned about the reduction in working hours

Medina Ramírez recalled that just over a month ago, 850 jobs were laid off at GM's Ramos Arizpe plant, which led them to cancel the third shift. He reiterated that technical strikes are preferable to avoid layoffs at automakers or automotive suppliers.

"Production was halted, and with the implementation of tariffs , production undoubtedly decreased, as in the case of GM. This is a win-win situation. On the one hand, technical shutdowns help ensure that the investment made in training remains in place and there are no layoffs."

The problem, he mentioned, is that if there are layoffs, when orders increase or more employment contracts become available, staff must be retrained, "which is why it is preferable at this time to hold off until there is an adjustment in income and expenses through tariffs and the production plant is stabilized."

It's a fact that, regarding the tariff issue, "there is concern about the reduction in working hours, not about the car manufacturers leaving. They're not going to leave Mexico; they're going to stay. We've been partners with the United States for many years," the CTM union leader emphasized.

And what about automotive suppliers?

Among auto parts suppliers, "what had happened was a phenomenon of job cuts. What do I mean by that? While 200 or 400 jobs weren't being cut, 3, 4, or 5 employees were already being cut, due to the halt in production and the imposition of tariffs, which undoubtedly reduced production," he explained.

In the state of Coahuila, there are approximately 350 Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers in the state's southeast region. "Eighty percent of the economy in the state's southeast region depends on the automotive, steel, and appliance sectors," said Medina Ramírez.