Article 153-K Federal Labor Law

The Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, together with the Ministry of Economy (Secretaría de Economía), shall convene the employers, labor unions, employees and academic institutions so that they constitute the National Concertation and Productivity Committee, which shall have the character of consultative and auxiliary body of the Federal Executive and of the productive plant.

The National Concertation and Productivity Committee shall meet at least every two months and shall have the powers that are listed below:

I.To carry out the national and international diagnosis of the requirements necessary to raise productivity and competitiveness in each sector and branch of production, to promote training and instruction, as well as investment in the equipment and the form of organization that is required to increase productivity, proposing plans by branch, and to link wages to the qualifications and competencies acquired, as well as to the evolution of the productivity of the enterprise based on the best technological and organizational practices that increase productivity, taking into account its current degree of development;

II.To collaborate in the preparation and permanent updating of the National Catalog of Occupations and in the studies on the characteristics of the technology, machinery and equipment in existence and use, as well as of the labor competencies required in the activities corresponding to the industrial or service branches;

III.To suggest technological and work-organization alternatives to raise productivity based on the best practices and in correspondence with the level of development of the enterprises;

IV.To formulate recommendations of training and instruction plans and programs that allow raising productivity;

V.To study mechanisms and new forms of remuneration that link wages and, in general, the income of the employees, to the benefits of productivity;

VI.To evaluate the effects of the training and instruction actions on productivity within the industrial branches or specific activities in question;

VII.To propose to the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare the issuance of technical standards of labor competency and, where applicable, the procedures for their evaluation, accreditation and certification, with respect to those productive activities in which no determined standard exists;

VIII.To process before the labor authority the registration of the certificates relating to the knowledge or skills of the employees who have satisfied the legal requirements demanded for such purpose;

IX.To prepare and implement the programs referred to in the preceding article;

X.To participate in the preparation of the National Development Plan;

XI.To issue opinion and suggest the destination and application of budget resources aimed at increasing productivity; and

XII.To issue opinion regarding the performance in the conciliation procedures and to propose methodologies that promote their effectiveness and reduce labor conflict, in order to contribute to the strengthening of the alternative mechanisms;

XIII.To carry out diagnoses on the performance of the union registration and legitimation procedures, and to suggest courses of action that provide greater certainty, transparency and reliability of the actions of the registration authority in matters of accreditation of union representativeness;

XIV.To carry out diagnoses regarding the procedures of legitimation and deposit of collective employment contracts and their impact on the productivity of the enterprises; likewise, to issue proposals to promote collective bargaining;

XV.To promote social and productive dialogue, and

XVI.The others that are established in this and other normative provisions.

The recommendations issued by the Committee shall be taken into account in the design of public policies, in the corresponding sphere, and shall be made publicly known.