On May 15th, SITEKIM leader Ivan Diaz Xolo was assaulted outside the

factory's new cafeteria by three CROC supporters. According to Diaz, "Julio

[Garcia Gil] walked to me and hit me in the face with a water bottle. I took

a step back and I realized that two other individuals, Israel AKA "El Veneno"

[Israel Espinoza Corona] and Adalberto AKA "El Puebla" [Alberto Alarcon

Velez] were hitting me on the back, so I ducked and covered my face and chest

with my arms and did not answer back because I knew I could be fired for

this, so I did not do anything else." Diaz suffered no injuries other than

scratches and bruises. Other workers present have corroborated Diaz's version.

According to Kukdong workers, Julio Garcia had previously been fired for

misconduct in the factory and was readmitted after the work stoppage. Israel

Espinoza is a CROC steward in the cutting department. According to the

testimony of several workers, both Israel Espinoza and Alberto Alarcon have

received money from CROC representative Jose Luis Ruiz.

The negligence and complicity of company officials in this incident is

evident in that security chose not to intervene during the incident (even

though Hugo de la Peña, head of human resources, subsequently told Ivan Diaz

that one person from security had witnessed the incident). When Diaz and

other witnesses attempted to enter the management offices to denounce the

attack, they were denied access to the by security personnel. Later on that

morning, Diaz was called into the offices and Hugo de la Peña, human

resources chief at Kukdong, alleged that Ivan had provoked Israel Espinoza,

and that the incident had been a fight between both individuals. According

to  De la Peña, this version was given to him by two witnesses, whose names

he never mentioned. The attack occurred in front of a crowd of workers, yet

none of the base workers present during the incident were called to give

their versions of the incident. Subsequently, Hugo de la Peña, allegedly

acting on orders from above, suspended both Ivan and Israel Espinoza for a

week.

The precedent of Kukdong allowing the CROC to beat up workers on premises and

then punish the individuals beaten is a threat to the physical integrity of

all workers at Kukdong who have opposed the CROC, as well as another attack

on the ability of workers to freely choose their union representation. While

it is not clear that higher management was involved in handling this

situation, it is clear that management must take strong measures to prevent

this kind of incident from occurring again. If the incident is left

unpunished, it will be an encouragement for the CROC to assault independent

union supporters. Already, many workers have expressed fear of being attacked

for supporting SITEKIM.

2. CROC OFFERS MONEY TO WORKERS TO RESIGN SITEKIM

According to several workers who have approached Centro de Apoyo al

Trabajador, the CROC union representative at Kukdong has been offering money

to SITEKIM members and others to oppose the independent union. Martin Perez

Casquera, a Kukdong worker affiliated to SITEKIM, denounces that on May 2nd,

Jose Luis Ruiz, the CROC representative at Kukdong, offered him 500 pesos (50

US) for every person in SITEKIM that he brought to him who was willing to

sign a document disowning SITEKIM.  Perez was also offered 100 pesos every

week, which he accepted because of need and because he felt that the money

were the union dues that he has been paying the CROC against his will.

"I am conscious that by receiving this money he [CROC representative Jose

Luis Ruiz] may force me to do something I should not do, like beat up my co-

workers or other actions that may occur to him. Through this document I make

Jose Luis Ruiz, representative of the CROC at Kukdong responsible for

anything that happens to me or my family," Perez wrote. The testimony that

Centro de Apoyo al Trabajador obtained from  Perez may place him under

considerable risk to his personal integrity, especially in light of the

beating of Ivan Diaz.

Perez also confirmed the version of workers that others in the factory have

been accepting this money, including the assailants of Ivan Diaz.

While Mexican Federal Labor Law does not contemplate sanctions against bribes

in a union election, this situation clearly impedes a fair and free election

from happening in Kukdong. Kukdong is under no legal or contractual

obligation to facilitate office space for the CROC to carry out its

operations within the factory, and it is becoming apparent that the presence

of CROC representative Jose Luis Ruiz in the facility may seriously

jeopardize the safety of workers and their right to freedom of association.

This is especially true in light of the preferential treatment granted to the

CROC, since it is allowed to have office space within the facility and call

meetings with workers.