ABSTRACT
During the 1970s, Mexico became an increasingly important oil exporter although the oil wealth changed surprisingly little in terms of Mexico’s own economic and financial difficulties. Pemex was set up in 1983 following the acrimonious expropriation of the foreign oil companies. In its early years it had to struggle to survive; it was helped by the abundance of existing oil reserves and by the rapid acquisition of skills by the remaining workforce. The Mexican railway system was nationalised in the 1930s and was originally run by the workforce; following a major rail disaster, however, control was turned over to a professional management. As in Pemex, however, the railwaymen retained a strong trade union. After 1945 the government tended to downplay the railways and invest heavily in road building, but this comparative neglect led to a serious transportation bottleneck which became very serious during the oil boom years of 1978–81.
