The motion below was passed by trainee teachers at Sheffield College in solidarity with the disappeared students in Mexico and in solidarity with the struggle of those demanding justice for the crimes of the Mexican state.
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Sheffield College Trainee Teachers Note:
Mexico is in the middle of a humanitarian crisis; since 2006, at least 22,000 people have disappeared and in roughly 40% of these cases there was no criminal investigation.
One recent disappearance was of 43 students from the Ayotzinapa Teaching School on the 26th of September 2014. It is clear that the students were abducted by the police and handed to criminal cartel organisations.
HSBC were fined $1.9 Billion as they are complicit in the crisis in Mexico.
Sheffield College Trainee Teachers Believe:
The attack on these student teachers were politically motivated and will not go unnoticed.
That this incident has acted as the catalyst to national wide protests against the corruption of the Mexican government, privatisation and lack of funding in education.
The struggle of the IPN students and work of the Rural Teachers are inspirations for the labour and student movement world wide.
“The Year of the UK in Mexico” will further roll back the gains of the Mexican Revolution.
It is clear that there is no distinction between big business, the state and cartel organisations in the aid and abetting of disappearances.
Sheffield College Trainee Teachers Resolve:
To issue a statement that explains the ‘Sheffield College Trainee Teachers Note’ and ‘Believe’ section to all workers affiliated to UCU.
To urge UCU to take a decisive stance in support of the students and all those joining the struggle in Mexico to fight for a better world.
To seek out the practicalities of affliction and of forging links with the IPN and Democratic Teachers Union in Mexico.
