Sicartsa and union end 141-day strike

The National Metals and Mining Workers Union and Grupo Villacero, owner of the Sicartsa wire rod mill in Lazaro Cardenas, announced Tuesday in Mexico City that an agreement has been reached to end the strike that has lasted for 141 days. The new contract package includes an eight percent increase in the income of the workers, which includes a six percent hike in wages and a two percent increase in benefits, all retroactive to May 1, 2006. Furthermore, every worker will receive 100 percent of all lost wages and a bonus of Pesos 7,500. Grupo Villacero will pay a "significant compensation" and will supply housing and scholarships to the families of the two workers who were killed late April during a violent confrontation between the striking workers and the police. On the union side, the agreement was approved by Napoleon Gomez Urrutia, whose earlier removal as the union head had started the strike.