Striking Workers Attacked at Tornel Rubber's Tultitlán Plant; 4 Workers Shot
mexicosolidarity.com
Around 4:30 AM, about 60 armed men with sticks and firearms began attacking the workers, who managed to capture two of the attackers.

This article by Silvia Chávez originally appeared in the March 19, 2026 edition of La Jornada, Mexico’s premier left wing daily newspaper.

Tultitlán, Mexico. Four workers from the Tornel rubber company were injured after being attacked by a group of armed men while on night duty at the company’s plant, located on the José López Portillo Highway, where they have been on strike since February 23 demanding compliance with eight clauses of the collective bargaining agreement.

The workers managed to capture two of the attackers, who arrived at the scene in at least 15 vehicles early yesterday morning.

Gerardo Alberto Meneses, general secretary of the National Union of Workers of the Tornel Rubber Company, reported that around 4:30 a.m., about 60 armed men with sticks and firearms stormed outside the factory and began attacking the employees.

In an interview, he explained that the workers tried to protect themselves, but four of them were shot in the legs. The injured men, between 40 and 45 years old, were taken to the Traumatology Hospital of the Mexican Social Security Institute in Lomas Verdes, in the municipality of Naucalpan.

He commented that the attackers were wearing company uniforms, and that members of the movement filed a complaint yesterday with the Attorney General’s Office of the State of Mexico.

Roberto Gutiérrez, Secretary of the Interior for the Tornel union, interviewed at the scene of the attack, stated that the offensive occurred nine days before the scheduled employee referendum to legitimize the strike, as required by labor law. He believed the attack was an attempt to intimidate the rank-and-file workers “to break the strike” and that the company, owned by businessmen from India, was responsible for the attack, since “the company is the one that wants to prevent us from holding the referendum.”

“We’re going hungry and cold, but we’re carrying on,” said a worker who identified himself as Eder. “We’re still here, and look, there’s the blood of our coworkers, and we’re not hurting anyone. We’re just asking them to honor our contract,” he added.

The strike began on February 23 at the four Tornel tire plants (the other three are in Mexico City). The workers are demanding wage increases of 7 and 5 percent, corresponding to 2025 and 2026, respectively.

They also demand a 40-hour work week, as it is currently 48 hours; a Christmas bonus of 44 days, not 36 as is currently the case; a vacation bonus of 25 to 32 days, depending on seniority; and that the holidays of February 5 and March 21 be observed.

They also request that the employer pay Social Security, not the employees with their salaries; that Sundays be mandatory rest days; and that the 13 percent savings fund be paid, because they are only paid 12.5 percent.

Since early yesterday morning, state police officers in two trucks have been monitoring the exterior of the company in Tultitlán.

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The post 4 Workers Shot: Striking Workers Attacked at Tornel Rubber’s Tultitlán Plant appeared first on Mexico Solidarity Media.

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