The Mexican Chamber of Deputies approved on Tuesday the ‘Chair Law’, a reform that includes changes to labor laws. The initiative presented by the coordinator of the deputies of the ruling National Regeneration Movement (Morena), Ricardo Monreal, obtained the unanimous support of the full 476 deputies present at the session of the San Lázaro precinct in the Mexican capital.
The proposal known as the ‘Chair Law’ seeks to ensure that no worker remains standing during the entire work day or, where appropriate, that they periodically take a seat during the development of their duties.
The ruling, now referred to the Mexican Senate for discussion, possible approval and subsequent official publication, requires employers to “provide a sufficient number of seats or chairs with backrests available to all workers in the service, commerce and similar work centers sectors.”
In addition, it specifies that, “in the case of periodic breaks, the seats or chairs with backrests must be located in specific areas designated for this purpose in the same facilities of the workplace.”
“The same provision will be observed in industrial establishments when the nature of the work allows it,” adds the recently approved opinion.
The promoter, the coordinator of Morena, indicated that the proposal addresses the precariousness and violations of the labor rights of workers in Mexico.
Who benefits from the approval of the Silla Law in Mexico?
According to the authorities, the workers who benefit from the approval of the “Silla Law” are those who, due to their functions, spend a lot of time standing, such as waiters, cashiers, seamstresses and people who offer household services.
He explained that there are still excessive work days, sometimes more than 48 hours a week, which causes fatigue, muscle pain, venous insufficiency, tendonitis, the appearance of varicose veins, various injuries to the knees, lumbar area, heels and ankles.
Monreal considered that, although there are no national statistics available on the effects on the health of workers when standing or sitting for long periods, this does not imply that the problem does not exist.
“This is a public problem that negatively impacts health and labor productivity, generating long-term economic and social consequences,” she said.
Earlier, Senator Patricia Mercado of the Citizen Movement (MC) presented an initiative with the aim of forcing employers to provide chairs with backrests to workers and agree on mandatory rest periods during the work day.
Source: viveusa
