Since August of this year, almost three months ago, the Department of Human Resources and Labor Relations at Pemex, and the Secretariat of the Interior of the Oil Workers Union of Mexico (STPRM, Spanish acronym) began to develop reports on the PEMEX workforce based on proposed layoffs, early retirement and rearrangement of unionized and reliable employees.
It's a running start, because the administrative-union agreement that Pemex signed with the Petroleum Workers Union (headed by Carlos Romero Deschamps) to "resize the workforce" originates with the large oil multinationals, who are anxiously awaiting approval of energy reform:
"They want Pemex's companies without the workers, without the labor charge, and with no obligation for paying pensions [pension liability]," warned the National Union of Petroleum Technicians and Professionals (UNTPP).Thus, three months ago, when this year's contract review came to an end, they began the analyses, studies and documents that set in motion the process of adjusting Pemex's labor force.
In early August 2013, the Joint National Committee began the task of "resizing," and it is expected that before the end of this year, they will begin to implement "changes of assignment" and other personnel "adjustments." These studies for "resizing" staff began with the petrochemical plants, refineries and [offshore drilling] platforms, where work materials for oil workers has virtually been removed, warned the UNTPP.
Silvia Ramos, UNTPP Secretary of Relations, explained that the cutback of unionized personnel and of reliable workers is one of the direct and anticipated effects of the energy reform. But there will be other labor consequences because of the absolute uncertainty about the employment future of personnel working, for example, in the refineries and in the complexes and units of exploration. [This uncertainty surrounds what will happen] when they [refineries and exploratory operations] are operated by transnational companies, or they [union oil workers] might have startup involvement ....
The labor issue in the energy reform is a key point, since this initiative not only undermines national sovereignty and threatens the country's future, but it will practically end collective bargaining by the oil workers, with the job security [assured by] this union, and they will introduce wholesale outsourcing in Pemex plants.
The retirement of union oil workers poses another problem. They don't contribute either to IMSS [Mexican Institute of Social Security] or to the ISSSTE [State Workers' Institute of Security (Insurance) and Social Services], since their pension is with Pemex itself. Nevertheless, there are reports that there are no funds to cover this labor liability, so this right would be at risk along with all the other rights that oil workers have acquired. Spanish original
The retirement of union oil workers poses another problem. They don't contribute either to IMSS [Mexican Institute of Social Security] or to the ISSSTE [State Workers' Institute of Security (Insurance) and Social Services], since their pension is with Pemex itself. Nevertheless, there are reports that there are no funds to cover this labor liability, so this right would be at risk along with all the other rights that oil workers have acquired. Spanish original