Federal Labor Law
Official title: Ley Federal del Trabajo
Current text · last reform published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF) on 14 May 2026
- Abbreviation
- LFT
- Articles in English
- 1,117 / 1,118
- Official source
- Cámara de Diputados (opens in another tab)
Federal Labor Law. Mexico's main labor statute. It covers employment contracts, working hours, minimum wage, paid vacations, profit sharing (PTU), dismissal, labor unions and strikes. For expats and investors: it applies at federal level to the industries listed in article 527 (for example mining, oil and gas, electricity, the automotive industry and banking). Other employers fall under state labor law.
Articles
Repealed articles are not shown in English yet. The full Spanish index lists them.
TITLE ONE. General Principles
CHAPTER I. General provisions
CHAPTER II. Duration of employment relationships
CHAPTER III. Suspension of the effects of employment relationships
CHAPTER IV. Termination of employment relationships for cause
CHAPTER V. Termination of employment relationships
CHAPTER I. General provisions
CHAPTER II. Working day
CHAPTER III. Days of rest
CHAPTER IV. Paid vacation
CHAPTER V. Wage
CHAPTER VI. Minimum wage
CHAPTER VII. Protective rules and privileges of the wage
CHAPTER VIII. Participation of employees in the profits of the enterprises
CHAPTER I. Obligations of employers
CHAPTER II. Obligations of employees
CHAPTER III. Housing for employees
CHAPTER III BIS. On Productivity, Training and Instruction of Employees
CHAPTER IV. Rights of preference, seniority and promotion
CHAPTER V. Inventions of employees
TITLE FIVE. Work of Women
TITLE FIVE BIS. Work of Minors
CHAPTER I. General provisions
CHAPTER II. Employees in positions of trust
CHAPTER III. Employees of vessels
CHAPTER IV. Work of aeronautical crews
CHAPTER V. Railway work
CHAPTER VI. Motor transport work
CHAPTER VII. Public service handling work in areas under federal jurisdiction
CHAPTER VIII. Rural Workers
CHAPTER IX. Commercial agents and other similar persons
CHAPTER IX BIS. WORK ON DIGITAL PLATFORMS
CHAPTER X. Professional athletes
CHAPTER XI. Workers who are performing artists or performers
CHAPTER XII. Work at home
CHAPTER XII BIS. Telework
CHAPTER XIII. Domestic Workers
CHAPTER XIII BIS. On Mine Workers
CHAPTER XIV. Work in hotels, restaurants, bars and other similar establishments
CHAPTER XV. Family industry
CHAPTER XVI. Work of Resident Physicians in a Period of Training in a Specialty
CHAPTER XVII. Work in Universities and Higher Education Institutions Autonomous by Law
CHAPTER I. Coalitions
CHAPTER II. Labor unions, federations and confederations
CHAPTER III. Collective employment contract
CHAPTER IV. Contract-Law
CHAPTER V. Internal work regulation
CHAPTER VI. Collective modification of working conditions
CHAPTER VII. Collective suspension of employment relationships
CHAPTER VIII. Collective termination of employment relationships
CHAPTER I. General provisions
CHAPTER II. Objectives and procedures of strike
TITLE NINE. Occupational Hazards
TITLE TEN. Prescription
CHAPTER I. General provisions
CHAPTER II. Constitutional jurisdiction of the labor authorities
CHAPTER III. Attorney's Office for the Defense of Labor
CHAPTER IV. On the National Employment Service
CHAPTER V. Labor inspection
CHAPTER VI. National Minimum Wage Commission
CHAPTER VII. Consultative Commissions of the National Minimum Wage Commission
CHAPTER VIII. Procedure before the National Minimum Wage Commission
CHAPTER IX. National commission for the participation of employees in the profits of the enterprises
CHAPTER IX BIS. On the Federal Conciliation and Labor Registry Center
CHAPTER IX TER. On the Conciliation Centers of the states (federal entities) and of Mexico City
CHAPTER XII. On the Jurisdiction of the Courts
TITLE TWELVE. Legal Personnel of the Conciliation and Arbitration Boards
CHAPTER I. On the procedures for designation of representatives of employees and employers
CHAPTER II. Representatives of Employees and Employers in the National Minimum Wage Commission and in the Consultative Commissions
CHAPTER III. Representatives of employees and employers in the national commission for the participation of employees in the profits of the enterprises
CHAPTER I. On the Pre-judicial Conciliation Procedure
CHAPTER II. On the Conciliators
CHAPTER III. On the Procedure for the Selection of Conciliators
CHAPTER I. Procedural Principles
CHAPTER II. On Capacity, Standing and Legitimation
CHAPTER III. On Jurisdiction
CHAPTER IV. On Disqualifications and Excuses
CHAPTER V. On the Proceedings of the Courts
CHAPTER VI. On Procedural Terms
CHAPTER VII. On Notifications
CHAPTER VIII. On Letters Rogatory and Commissions
CHAPTER IX. On Incidents
CHAPTER X. On Accumulation
CHAPTER XI. On the Continuation of the Proceedings and on Lapse
Section One. General Rules
Section Two. On the Confessional
Section Three. On documentary evidence
Section Four. On the Testimonial
Section Five. On the Expert
Section Six. On Inspection
Section Seven. On the Presumptional
Section Eight. On the Instrumental
Section Nine. On the Elements Provided by the Advances of Science.
CHAPTER XIII. On Labor Resolutions
CHAPTER XV. On Precautionary Measures
CHAPTER XVII. On the ordinary procedure
Section One. Preliminary Hearing
Section Two. Trial Hearing
CHAPTER XVIII. On the Special Procedure
Section One. Individual Social Security Conflicts
CHAPTER XIX. Procedures of Collective Conflicts of an Economic Nature
CHAPTER XX. Strike Procedure
Section One. General Provisions
Section Two. On the attachment procedure
Section Three. Judicial sales
Section One. On third-party claims
Section Two. On the preference of credits
CHAPTER III. Para-procedural or voluntary procedures
TITLE SIXTEEN. Responsibilities and Sanctions
Unofficial English translation. The Spanish text published in the Diario Oficial de la Federación (DOF) is the only official text. Articulado does not give legal advice and is not a government website.