A Mexican judge has dismissed one of the last appeals available to a dissident union fighting the shutdown of a state-owned power company.

The Mexican Electrical Workers' Union vows to appeal. It has already lost two attempts to block the government's decision in October to close the money-losing Luz y Fuerza del Centro.

The judge said in a ruling released Friday that the public's right to efficient power service overrides employees' right to continue working at the company.

The union has staged protests that choked traffic in Mexico City. It argues the shutdown was illegal and claims the government wants to privatize the service.

Luz y Fuerza supplied power to 25 million customers in the capital and the surrounding area.