Mexico

Organization responsible for the statistics

The statistics are collected, compiled and published by the Unidad Coordinadora de Políticas, Estudios y Estadísticas del Trabajo, Secretaria del Trabajo y Previsión Social.

Objectives and users

Not available.

Coverage

Strikes and lockouts

The statistics cover: Unofficial strikes, political or protest strikes, lockouts and rotating or revolving strikes are not included, nor are sit-ins, working to rule, go-slows or overtime bans.

The statistics concern strikes at establishments and enterprises covered by Federal jurisdiction. As a result, strikes at enterprises under local jurisdiction are not included.

Minimum threshold Duration of at least two hours.

Economic activities

No particular branches of economic activity or sectors are excluded.

Workers

The statistics cover union members only, and relate to workers directly involved. In addition to regular paid employees working full time, the statistics cover temporary workers, workers laid off, workers absent on sick or annual leave and workers dismissed after the date on which the strike is officially announced. Casual and seasonal workers, and unpaid family workers are not included.

Workers in positions of trust are not included.

Geographic areas

Whole country.

Types of data collected

Concepts and definitions

Collective dispute (conflicto colectivo)

Collective claims presented before the Junta Federal de Conciliación y Arbitraje by one or more trade unions against an enterprise or employer, or against an employers' organization, with a view to modifying or applying new terms of employment, or the suspension or termination of collective labour relations, which may be classified as an economic dispute or a dispute covered by special procedures.

Strike notice (emplazamiento a huelga)

Claims presented before the labour services by one or more trade unions against one or more employers or their organizations. The notice lists the claims as well as the decision to stop work if these are not satisfied within a set period of time.

Strike (huelga estallada)

A temporary suspension of work brought about by a group of workers, in one enterprise, or in one or more of its establishments.

Collective suspension of labour relations (suspensión collectiva de las relaciones de trabajo)

A temporary suspension of activities in an undertaking on the grounds of: circumstances beyond the control of the employer, or any unforeseen event not attributable to the employer, or the employer's physical incapacity or death, entailing the suspension of work; relating to the labour market, etc.

The definitions come from the Constitución Politica de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos, Ley Federal del Trabajo, Artículo 123 (reglamentaria del 123 Constitucional), Artículos 440 y 442.

Methods of measurement

Strikes and lockouts

The basic unit of measurement used to record a strike is the economic unit (the enterprise). The resumption of a strike that is interrupted but later recommences, still due to the same case of dispute, is counted as a new strike.

Work stoppages arising from the same case of dispute, occurring simultaneously in different establishments of the same enterprise are counted as one strike. Those resulting from the same case of dispute but occurring simultaneously or at different times in establishments of different enterprises are counted as separate strikes.

Economic units involved

The economic unit is the enterprise, defined as the unit for the production or distribution of goods and services. The establishment is the technical unit that, as a branch office, agency, etc., is an integral part of the enterprise, and contributes towards achieving its objectives.

Workers involved

The number of workers involved is the highest number of workers involved at any one time during the strike.

Duration

The duration is measured in calendar days from the date the strike began in the first economic unit involved to the date it terminated in the last one.

Time not worked

Total time not worked is measured in work days as the product of the number of workers involved and the duration. Overtime is not taken into account.

Classifications

Cause of dispute

Branch of economic activity

The statistics are classified by branch of economic activity.

Other

Reference period and periodicity

The statistics are compiled and published for periods of a month, a quarter, six months and a year. They refer to strikes beginning during the particular reference period as well as those continuing from the previous period.

Analytical measures

Historical background of the series

Not available.

Documentation

Series available

Not available.

Bibliographic references

Secretaría del Trabajo y Previsión Social: Estadísticas Laborales (six-monthly);

Idem: Reporte oportuno de estadísticas seleccionadas de la negociación obrero-patronal (monthly);

Idem: Reporte oportuno de la conciliación laboral (quarterly);

Idem: Prontuario de información laboral (quarterly);

Idem: Informe semestral estadístico de la conciliación (six-monthly).

Data published by the ILO

The number of strikes, number of workers involved and the number of days not worked (the latter since 1982), by economic activity.

Confidentiality

Not available.

International standards

Not available.

Methods of data collection

The information is compiled directly from the administrative records that the Labour Tribunal maintains for each strike notice. The information recorded covers the whole background to the dispute, including the following: