Coparmex goes to court against teacher protests

A Mexican industry lobby said on Wednesday it had filed a legal challenge to pressure the government into putting an end to a long-running protest by dissident teachers which it complains has hurt business.

Mexican employers' federation Coparmex said the government had breached the rights of business owners and citizens by failing to enforce the rule of law in protests against an education reform by the teachers' union known as the CNTE.

Coparmex said it had filed an amparo, a form of constitutional injunction, in a federal court to defend its rights against President Enrique Peña Nieto's government.

"What the amparo could do is force the judiciary to mandate authorities to meet their obligations," Coparmex president Gustavo de Hoyos said on Mexican television.

Earlier, de Hoyos said that protests have led to blockades of railways, port disruptions, and damage to public property, and demanded the government re-establish order.

The government has been unable to reach an accord with the CNTE over the reform, which imposes mandatory staff evaluations on the profession. The union says this is unfair towards many poorer teachers and will result in massive dismissals.

In June, several people were killed when clashes between police and protesters turned violent in southern Mexico.