The Secretary of Infrastructure, Communication and Transport (SICT) and the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) are pleased to announce the formalisation of a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at enhancing cooperation to promote the development of transport infrastructure and services, to contribute to the productivity of the sector and the economic and social development of the country.
The current Government of Mexico has established the policy called the “Fourth Transformation” that aims to build a country with welfare. Following this guideline, the SICT established to contribute to social well-being through the construction, modernization and maintenance of accessible, safe, efficient and sustainable road infrastructure that connects people of all conditions, with a vision of regional and intermodal development”.
Rob Johnston, ITF Assistant General Secretary, stated: “This MoU signifies a significant step forward to ensure the right of sustainable transport to protect the future of the country and the promotion of the human and labour rights of transport workers, who will have a voice in the creation of resilient transport systems, industry transformation and the just transition.”
Key objectives of the MoU include:
- Promoting high levels of reliability, timeliness, efficiency and care for the environment in the development of transport infrastructure and services, in order to contribute to raising the productivity of the sector and the economic and social development of the country;
- Increasing the levels of safety associated with the infrastructure and services of the sector, through actions to improve the qualification of the human factor, infrastructure, systems and equipment, as well as the supervision and safety culture, in order to prevent the occurrence of crimes, accidents, loss of human lives and material within the transport system.
- That there is a need to work constructively on the implementation of activities that serve to develop global knowledge, understanding and best practices centred on workers in the sectors represented by the ITF.
The parties have committed to regular evaluations of the MoU's objectives, ensuring its relevance and adaptability of the experiences of other countries, in order to promote coordination between the various modes of transport that allow the formation of a comprehensive system, ensuring the responsible management of supply chains, in addition to promoting the use of new technologies; Implementing activities that encourage the exchange of experiences and success stories in the field of transport in other countries, such as forums, working groups, congresses and/or symposia in air and land matters, which allow to know the best global practices and promote the exchange of relevant policies; Promoting the education, training and training of workers in the various modes of transport, which allows them to make use of and maximize the benefits associated with new technologies, as well as to promote awareness and respect for environmental and social sustainability; and exploring priority projects in the field of transportation, in order to implement policies and programs for their development, in accordance with the needs of the country.
Edgar Diaz, ITF’s Regional Secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean and selected as the MoU’s liaison, commented: "This MoU has been the result of lengthy negotiations between the ITF and the Government of Mexico. It is a victory for transport workers, who will be considered for important decisions in the country's transport industry. This motivates us to achieve other agreements in the region and to ensure an effective participation of workers in the transport policies decisions."
The MoU, effective upon signature, will have a duration of one year with the ability to renew for a further period.
