US officials cite work violations at Volkswagen Mexico plant

US officials are asking the Mexican government to look into potential labor rights violations at a Volkswagen plant in Puebla, Mexico, one of the country’s largest automotive factories.

The US-Mexico-Canada Agreement’s Interagency Labor Committee for Monitoring and Enforcement requested the review after finding that 10 workers at the facility were improperly fired after a recent union election.

The former employees, who were part of the outgoing leadership of a union at the company, alleged in an April 25 petition that they had been wrongfully terminated, according to a statement Tuesday. The interagency committee, which is co-chaired by the US Department of Labor and the Office of the US Trade Representative, “found sufficient and credible evidence that the workers’ freedom of association and collective bargaining rights were denied.”

Mexico has 10 days to decide whether to carry out the review. Officials have 45 days to investigate the claims and present findings.

In a Tuesday statement, Volkswagen de Mexico SA said it could not share details about the matter because a resolution is still in progress but added that it respects and adheres to laws related to freedom of association and collective bargaining. The company intends to collaborate with governmental entities in Mexico and the member countries of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the company said.

The Volkswagen Puebla plant manufactures 2,300 vehicles daily. The site employs 6,100 assembly line workers and 5,000 supervisory employees, along with thousands of people that handle parts assembly.