With only a few days left for the beginning of the first conversations on the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), several topics have been pointed out as priorities. One of them is linked to the labor market. In other words, to the work that migrants do in the United States and the conditions in which they do it.

There are nearly 33.5 million Mexicans working in the U.S., mostly in agriculture, fishing, building and services; they generate revenues for 600 thousand million dollars per year, around 8% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country.

The PAN congresswoman and member of the Commission of Foreign Relations, Arlette Muñoz Cervantes, requested the issue to be addressed during the renegotiation as a priority in order to develop a new convention about it.

“Exploring the possibility of building a new bilateral labor convention with the U.S., which benefits both economies and provides certainty among workers is key”, she said.

She pointed out that Mexicans’ work also makes a significant contribution to Mexico, with annual revenues for 24 thousand million dollars due to remittances, “therefore, it is key to continue this relationship under a new international regulatory framework”, she added.

Muñoz Cervantes claimed that a renewed bilateral agreement would enable to seize the productive force of Mexican migrants, while promoting their participation in sectors such as energy, mining and software development, which, according to the United States Economic Observatory, are the ones with largest growth rates of the past eight years.

“The economy of the U.S. may keep on been complemented by the productive strength of our fellow Mexicans, while they are constantly trained to face the new challenges posed by the market, such as the advance of technology in the industries”, she added.

The congresswoman requested Peña Nieto’s Government to hold its ground so that the issue is included in the new trade agreement with the U.S., as the legal void that has prevailed on this matter has encouraged illegal immigration of Mexican workers to that country during the past 30 years.