Why is no one protesting the holidays in Mexico?

It's amazing how in Mexico, the things that matter stay at the bottom of the priority list.

This is the case of the reform of dignified vacations.

That proposal to change in the Federal Labor Law the duration of vacations for workers: from 6 to 12 days a year.

In recent weeks, legislators have worked against the clock to approve an initiative that can make all parties happy: the government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, businessmen and workers.

And there they are, legislating in a second round — the initiative has already made a first round trip in both Chambers — with a sweetened version so as not to leave anyone dissatisfied.

They ignore the maxim that you can have everything, but not everything at once.

It is the eternal story of the Mexican Congress: leaving what is most vital for its citizens at the end.

The proposal to increase vacations for Mexicans reached Congress in February of this year.

Ahead of them were the reform of the National Guard, energy and, for a few hours, it is probable that also the electoral reform.

Legislators are

resolving an issue that they could easily address since the beginning of the year.

Denied practicality, they have preferred to repeat a legislative process, that is, work twice, rather than approve changes to two articles of a law that could transform the country's productivity.

At the last minute, the deputies have chosen to tip the balance a little towards businessmen.

The employers have already suffered a few setbacks during the López Obrador government: the reform that annulled subcontracting and the sustained increase in the minimum wage.

Both, by the way, have been received with quite good spirits among the workers.

On this occasion, the businessmen have been more cautious and have made their position very clear, including lobbying.

The voice of economic power is sitting on the table and political power, this time, has acted very little from the National Palace.

The silence of the unions is scandalous and it is worrying that the voice of the workers is the least heard these days.

Wouldn't a mobilization be necessary to demand a right as fundamental as rest?

In recent weeks, various political fronts have dedicated themselves to demonstrating their strength and potential on the streets.

We saw tumultuous marches against electoral reform and in favor of President López Obrador.

A political universe that is far away from millions of Mexicans, who, if they can have an opinion, do so at the polls every time there are elections.

Closer to their reality are exhaustion, excessive hours worked and the need for a moment to recover, gather strength and move on.

Vacations are not a luxury, they are a right.

The data is clear: Mexicans work long hours but do not stand out in productivity.

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), employees in Mexico work 2,225 hours a year, 480 hours more than the average for the countries in the organization, and that barely gives them a 20-point productivity rating. out of a total of 100 points.

A benefit of only six days of vacation has remained for more than 50 years, despite the fact that the forms of work and the economy have evolved substantially.

Mexico is also on a painful list of countries —which includes China, the Philippines, Nigeria and Thailand— with the shortest vacation periods in the world.

Also on the pile are dozens of studies on the positive effects that rest has on people's productivity.

We have,

even tycoon Carlos Slim asking in international forums for three-day work weeks.

But firmly, we have nothing.

In front of our eyes, the legislators —who already had in their hands a forceful reform of vacations of 12 continuous days— used delaying measures to finally arrive at a watered-down version in which the added six days can be negotiated with the employer.

"At discretion", as they say in Mexico, in an employment relationship where the forces of power are not equal and those of negotiation are even less so.

Patricia Mercado, a senator from Movimiento Ciudadano, wrote on her Twitter account that she had to focus on the fact that the six additional days are about to be achieved and that this is already "a great advance."

Without a doubt, but a scenario in which there was no possibility of conforming would be better.

subscribe here

to the EL PAÍS México

and receive all the key information on current affairs in this country

Subscribe to continue reading

Read without limits

Keep reading

I'm already a subscriber