Pemex prohibited from favoring STPRM union over minority groups

The Mexican Federal Judiciary has ruled that Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) cannot exclusively fund the expenses and salaries of the Sindicato de Trabajadores Petroleros de la República Mexicana (STPRM) to the detriment of minority unions.

The Eleventh Collegiate Labor Court determined that Pemex’s practice of providing full salaries, benefits, and travel expenses only to STPRM commissioners violates the principle of union freedom. The court found that such preferential financial support constitutes employer interference and favoritism, which undermines the balance of labor representation and unduly influences workers.

The legal dispute arose when a minority union requested the application of Clause 251 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, which mandates the company cover salaries and travel costs for full-time union representatives. Pemex had previously rejected this, arguing the clause applied only to the majority union. The court ruled that the size of a union does not justify subsidies that stifle the operations of alternative labor collectives.