Mexican Trade Unionism in a Time of Transition

This chapter traces the history of corporatist unionism in Mexico since the Revolution. It reflects particularly on union fortunes since the opening of the Mexican economy in the 1980s, vividly illuminating the defects of a model of union action premised upon dependence on and incorporation into a one-party political structure. It explores the challenges Mexican unions face in this period and also the opportunities transition holds out to build a stronger and more representative labour movement. It first recounts the origins and development of the current political crisis, and then steps backward in time to sketch the history of Mexican unions and the development of Mexico's particular system of industrial relations and unionism. The concluding portion discusses the current crisis of the corporatist model and the prospects for Mexican unionism that lie ahead.