06/03/11— Mexican President Felipe Calderón stated today that he wants constitutional labor reform that would aim to create job opportunities for Mexican youth, as well as provide better working conditions for women, prevent gender discrimination, and create more opportunities for females to enter the work place. He went on to say that in the past, labor reforms for political gains have been slow and have ultimately hurt the Mexican economy. Calderón stressed the idea that the labor market needs to be able to fit the needs of 112 million Mexicans who are of or below the age of 26 years old.
He also noted that in order to ensure more investments in the Mexican market, there needs to be strong institutions that will fuel growth. Rafael Moreno Valle, Puebla’s state governor, supported Calderón’s call for action, yet noted that while the Mexican economy has an open structure, it is closely attached to the closed legal system of previous administrations. In order to boost competitiveness in the international arena, Calderón stressed that Mexican exports are key in the success of the Mexican economy, as exports represents 65% of Mexico’s GDP. In order to achieve this, the markets must be free, trade diversification must exist, and competitiveness must increase. According to news source Puebla, Calderón also added that the ability to increase competitiveness rests on improvements that are needed in the health and educational sectors.
Sources:
Associated Press. “México promulga amplia reforma en materia de amparo.” Univision. June 3, 2011.
David, Shanik. “Felipe Calderón urge a concretar reforma laboral.” Puebla On-Line. June 3, 2011.
