Department of Labor January 27, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Office of Trade and Labor Affairs (OTLA) gives notice that on January 13, 2012, Submission 2011-02 was accepted for review pursuant to Article 16.3 of the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC). The Sindicato Mexicano de Electricistas (SME), a Mexican union, filed the submission with OTLA on November 14, 2011. The SME also filed the submission on behalf of 93 other organizations. The submitters allege that the Government of Mexico (GOM) failed to fulfill its obligations under Articles 2 through 6 of the NAALC. The submission alleges that these violations of the NAALC stem from a number of actions or failures to take action on the part of the GOM starting with the issuance of a Presidential decree on October 10, 2009 dissolving the state-owned electrical power company, Central Light and Power (Luz y Fuerza del Centro), thereby in effect terminating the employment of over 44,000 SME members. According to the submission, the GOM's subsequent actions or lack thereof denied these workers their rights under Mexican law related to freedom of association, the right to organize, the right to bargain collectively, and the prevention of occupational injuries and illnesses. If substantiated, such statements in the submission could constitute a failure on the part of Mexico to comply with its obligations under the NAALC. The objective of the review of the submission will be to gather information so that OTLA can better understand the allegations therein and publicly report on the U.S. Government's views regarding whether the GOM's actions were consistent with its obligations under the NAALC.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Occupational Safety and Health Administration sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Vehicle-Mounted Elevating and Rotating Work Platforms Standard,'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for continued use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).