The New Labor Philosophy

Neoliberal culture has, rather unsuccessfully so far, attempted to prevent workers organising themselves into unions and different associations. Faced with this failure, neoliberals have opted to obstruct, corrupt, confuse and divide, sullying the image of true and authentic social and union leaders.

Unfortunately, certain individuals’ ambition and their lack of principles and values, as well as the power of money, have meant that they have willingly become puppets of the dominant classes, going as far as whole-heartedly joining that group of corrupters, traitors, sell-outs and the civil servants who are complicit in this perverse and immoral strategy. But this behaviour has done no more than generate one of the degrading deviations of union, business and government life. The workers’ true fight for unity, loyalty and class solidarity is far above wickedness and unchecked complicity.

The future of unionism is not at stake because the general and natural tendency of labour relations is and will always be to freely organise to defend and protect labour and human rights. This happens from a perspective of solidarity and common strength so that production systems develop calmly, efficiently and fairly.

The current government, together with ambitious and insatiable businesspeople, have failed to realise that the world is overtaking them and they are being exposed as the true guilty parties of an economic and social failure that will have its repercussions in the immediate development of our society. This serious error has caused a lack of security, self-confidence sensitivity, vision and preparation on the part of the country’s political leaders and of many businessmen who have not allowed workers to participate more in planning and productive decision-making.

The next government will have the huge task of getting Mexico back on track and changing its economic policy, now cold and dehumanised, for one that really listens, corrects and resolves the needs and injustices that Mexicans endure. They must also make the nation’s activity more balanced and reasonable.

The traditional production model in Mexico has reached its limit. The economy cannot continue to grow based on systems that privilege the unchecked concentration of wealth in a few hands and the abusive exploitation of the workforce. However, the country can no longer wait tolerantly while the ignorance and arrogance of a few people destroy the hopes of the great majority who desire a profound change.

The design of a new strategy has to be thorough – as it has been in countries like China, Brazil, Japan, Argentina and others –, and new production relations will have to be based on much clearer concepts of social responsibility and shared responsibility between businesspeople and workers. This must cover the whole range of our society’s productive powers, to give an opening that will allow alternative forms or new participatory models to be incorporated.

Mexico needs, and is going to need all the more, a new labour philosophy, supported by respect, dignity and the participation of workers in processes, plans and programmes, as well as in the strategies for a new system of shared growth. The country needs to adopt a model in which all businesspeople see workers as partners and not as simple objects of exploitation or operational instruments. In making decisions and preparing initiatives they must have and develop greater knowledge and experience, with which they will be able to contribute to balanced production growth and increased justice.

The benefits obtained from this new labour philosophy will become social profits which could be reinvested to create more jobs, sources and centres for work, as well as greater efficiency and productivity and a fairer development of economic activity.

In Mexico, although there has been a lot of talk about applying a culture of work we have  moved towards one that more tightly controls salaries and halts the purchasing power of those salaries, and as a result stops the economic demand of workers in the market. The opposite should be the case: we need a model that stimulates the market with better remuneration and participation, linked to specific strategies of productivity, so as to improve and strengthen the purchasing power of wage-earners, consumption capacity, economic demand and the general wellbeing of the population.

From another perspective, what we need is a new culture among employers whereby they understand and respect workers, a culture that brings together social responsibility and does not obtain concession or benefits from society solely in order to achieve the objective of maximum profit. We must have guarantees that justice, dignity and the true search for the greatest possible happiness for workers will prevail, so that all may benefit.

This is what I have been suggesting as the essence of the new unionism for the 21^st century, which supposes a new labour philosophy and a new economic politics.