Mexican Labor Lawyer Denounces Proposed Elimination of Daily Rest in 40-Hour Work Week Debate

Mexico City, Mexico – A prominent labor lawyer, Susana Prieto, has vehemently criticized a proposal by the business sector to eliminate the daily half-hour paid rest period for workers as a condition for implementing a 40-hour work week. Prieto, known for her advocacy for workers' rights, stated in a recent video, "Eliminating the daily half-hour rest, as a condition to implement 40 hours, is a violation of human rights." She explained that current Mexican labor law mandates a paid 30-minute rest period during continuous workdays. "The state must protect this right, not reduce or diminish it," Prieto asserted, citing Articles 63 and 64 of the Federal Labor Law. She highlighted that many workers, particularly in maquiladora industries in border cities like Ciudad Juarez and Tijuana, already work 47.5 hours weekly but are only paid for 45, effectively losing their paid rest time. Prieto condemned what she called the "cynical and shameless" stance of business representatives and the "silence" of union leaders, including those from CTM, CROC, CROM, CATEM, and the Mining Union. "They have not said a peep in the face of such aberrations," she remarked. She urged an immediate approval of the 40-hour work week without sacrificing existing worker benefits, stating that such a reduction has been owed to Mexican workers for over four decades. "It is truly appalling that they still want to prolong this anguish until 2030," she concluded, calling for an end to the misinformation and confusion spread among the working class.