Mexico to review alleged labor rights violations at Volkswagen facilities

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico accepted a formal request from the United States to review alleged labor rights violations at Volkswagen Mexico facilities in the state of Puebla, the government said on Tuesday.

Mexico's economy ministry and labor ministry announced in a joint statement they accepted the request from U.S. trade officials, made under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

The U.S. Trade Representative had asked Mexico in late May to review whether workers at the Volkswagen Mexico facility in Cuautlancingo, Puebla, were being denied freedom of association and collective bargaining rights.

The request came in response to a petition by former Volkswagen workers and was made through a rapid response labor mechanism in the USMCA.

Mexican authorities have 45 days to conduct a review to determine if there was a denial of labor rights at the plant, the Mexican government's statement noted.

(Reporting by Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Valentine Hilaire and Cassandra Garrison)