Mexican transport unions have secured a landmark agreement with the Mexico City Government committing to decent work standards ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Mexico City Government's Ministry of Labor and Employment Promotion signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Decent Work with two ITF-affiliated unions – the Alianza de Tranviarios de México (ATM) and the Asociación Sindical de Pilotos Aviadores de México (ASPA) – alongside the Confederación Revolucionaria de Obreros y Campesinos (CROC).
The signing took place on International Labour Day, 1 May, a date the agreement explicitly recognises as emblematic in the defence of labour rights and the history of the labour movement's struggle.
The agreement sets out a framework for cooperation between government and unions to promote decent work and raise working conditions across transport and related sectors. It covers compliance with legal working hours, overtime pay, occupational health and safety, the conversion of temporary contracts to permanent employment, and commitment to eliminate child labour, forced labour, discrimination and all forms of workplace violence including sexual harassment.
The memorandum also commits signatories to promote training, the promotion of decent teleworking conditions, and the strengthening of social dialogue as a tool for preventing and resolving disputes – particularly in situations that put workers' health and safety at risk.
ITF Americas Regional Secretary Edgar Diaz signed as a witness. “Cooperation, union organising and social dialogue are key to driving real improvements in working conditions and to building fair, safe and sustainable transport systems,” he said. “We hope this agreement becomes a model that unions and governments across the region can follow, demonstrating that it is possible to move towards decent work.”
For transport workers in this city, this agreement means concrete gains. Transport workers keep this city moving every day. This agreement is recognition that their rights, their safety and their dignity matter."
The parties acknowledged that the World Cup represents both a strategic opportunity and a test: economic growth generated by the tournament through tourism services, trade and transport, that must be built on a foundation of full respect for labour' rights and gender equity.
The signing reaffirms Mexico City's place as a standard-bearer for labour rights in the region. The ITF says it hopes the agreement will serve as a model for similar pacts ahead of the tournament across other host cities and countries.
Image credit: REUTERS
