Leaders of the besieged Mexican Electrical Workers Union (SME) are calling for international solidarity to help them fight their government's decision to fire 45,000 electrical workers—which would liquidate their union. Tens of thousands of Mexican workers have joined national work stoppages, blocking highways in several states and closing down government buildings in Mexico City. Thousands of SME workers are fighting to recover their jobs and to protect one of Mexico’s oldest and most democratic unions, a key opponent of government assaults against workers and the poor.

Now the workers need direct financial assistance. The union is running low on funds and workers are locked out. Even buying paper and other supplies to spread the message is difficult. Tens of thousands of families are without wages, and the movement depends on urgent donations. Hope for these workers, their families, and the movement relies on generous solidarity from workers around the world.

Note: You can contribute to the SME through the link above—whether or not you have a Paypal account. There is a small section in the lower left corner of the screen that gives you the option to proceed without a Paypal account. It is labeled "Don't Have a Paypal Account?" Click on the "Continue" link in that section and you will be able to proceed without logging into Paypal. Every contribution made this way is already flagged for the SME and will be passed directly to the union.

Whether or not you can donate financially, please send solidarity statements to the SME workers at cilas [at] prodigy [dot] net [dot] mx.