[Mexico] Senate approves new law guaranteeing workers’ right to sit

The Senate of Mexico has officially approved the “Silla Law,” legislation created to safeguard workers from exploitation by ensuring them an unequivocal right to periodic breaks during the workday, Newsendip reports.

On February 20, the Silla Law was unanimously approved by the Senate of Mexico, with 82 votes in favour and none against. The legislation stipulates that employers cannot force their employees to stand up all day and must provide sufficient seats with backrests to accommodate this new entitlement. 

If a task cannot be performed whilst sitting down, employers must reportedly guarantee workers “mandatory rest periods during the day.”

The bill - dubbed the “chair law” - has the potential to be a significant legislative adaptation by acknowledging the exertion of service work. It reforms the Federal Labor Law, which has not been updated since 1970.

The Silla Law particularly refers to workers in the fashion industry, in retail and department stores, where, according to Senator Napoleón Gómez Urrutia, precarious working conditions more commonly occur.

Data from the United States National Library of Medicine reveals that the variety of health issues arising from standing all day at work ranges from “lower back and leg pain, cardiovascular problems, fatigue, malaise, premature birth, and spontaneous abortions.”

Chile and Argentina have reportedly enshrined the right for workers to sit since 1914 and 1935 respectively but this law is the first step for Mexico to ensure workers’ protection. It is imperative because many of these workers operate in what Senator Patricia Mercado described as almost “slavelike conditions.”

The law establishes strict sanctions for employers failing to comply. Fines ranging from 27,000 to 270,000 pesos (1,600 to 16,000 dollars) can be imposed and where recidivism occurs, a temporary suspension of activities can be ordered. A 180-day transitory period has been established to allow employers time to adjust to the new regulations if passed.

The chair law has now progressed to the Chamber of Deputies, its passage would represent major progress in safeguarding vulnerable minorities and women; groups more likely to work in industries with poor labour conditions.

Jorge Álvarez Máynez -  the Citizen Movement candidate for the presidency of Mexico - reportedly offered congratulations to the senators who were responsible for the Silla law proposal.

In a tweet, he praised the law, saying, “The #LeySilla once again demonstrates that good ideas, with tenacity and a vocation for public service, are the formula for good politics. Congratulations to Rodrigo Cordera and Patricia Mercado for this achievement.”

Source: Newsendip

(Links and quote via original reporting)

The Senate of Mexico has officially approved the “Silla Law,” legislation created to safeguard workers from exploitation by ensuring them an unequivocal right to periodic breaks during the workday, Newsendip reports.

On February 20, the Silla Law was unanimously approved by the Senate of Mexico, with 82 votes in favour and none against. The legislation stipulates that employers cannot force their employees to stand up all day and must provide sufficient seats with backrests to accommodate this new entitlement. 

If a task cannot be performed whilst sitting down, employers must reportedly guarantee workers “mandatory rest periods during the day.”

The bill - dubbed the “chair law” - has the potential to be a significant legislative adaptation by acknowledging the exertion of service work. It reforms the Federal Labor Law, which has not been updated since 1970.

The Silla Law particularly refers to workers in the fashion industry, in retail and department stores, where, according to Senator Napoleón Gómez Urrutia, precarious working conditions more commonly occur.

Data from the United States National Library of Medicine reveals that the variety of health issues arising from standing all day at work ranges from “lower back and leg pain, cardiovascular problems, fatigue, malaise, premature birth, and spontaneous abortions.”

Chile and Argentina have reportedly enshrined the right for workers to sit since 1914 and 1935 respectively but this law is the first step for Mexico to ensure workers’ protection. It is imperative because many of these workers operate in what Senator Patricia Mercado described as almost “slavelike conditions.”

The law establishes strict sanctions for employers failing to comply. Fines ranging from 27,000 to 270,000 pesos (1,600 to 16,000 dollars) can be imposed and where recidivism occurs, a temporary suspension of activities can be ordered. A 180-day transitory period has been established to allow employers time to adjust to the new regulations if passed.

The chair law has now progressed to the Chamber of Deputies, its passage would represent major progress in safeguarding vulnerable minorities and women; groups more likely to work in industries with poor labour conditions.

Jorge Álvarez Máynez -  the Citizen Movement candidate for the presidency of Mexico - reportedly offered congratulations to the senators who were responsible for the Silla law proposal.

In a tweet, he praised the law, saying, “The #LeySilla once again demonstrates that good ideas, with tenacity and a vocation for public service, are the formula for good politics. Congratulations to Rodrigo Cordera and Patricia Mercado for this achievement.”

Source: Newsendip

(Links and quote via original reporting)