COALITION FOR DIGNITY IN LABOUR IN EL SALVADOR
(Clean Clothes newsletter n. 6 - July 1996)
In 1995 an initiative began to confront the serious labour violations suffered by maquila workers in El Salvador's 'Free Trade Zones'. This initiative is a coalition of organisations from the Salvadoran civil sector, which for the past six month has been working for respect for rights and improved labour conditions in the maquila zones. Recently the coalition defined the name, function, and minimal staff for operation. The name of this initiative is Coordinadora Social por la Dignificacion del Empleo en la Maquila COSDEMA (Coalition for the Dignification of Employment in the Maquila).
Focus areas are legal reform, documentation, organising and international campaigns. The objectives of COSDEMA to work for 1) stable employemnt, 2) the defense of human and labour rights, 3) better working and living' conditions for workers, 4) the conversion of the Free Trade Zones into sources of employment with dignity.
Thus far, COSDEMA has been able to generate affective pressure around the prposal to amend the Free Trade Zones Law via the Salvadoran Legislative Assembly. We have also responded to different crisis situations that have arisen with workers in various Salvadoran maquila factories.
COSDEMA considers international solidarity from different agencies, institutions and individuals to be of vital importance. To achieve their objectives, COSDEMA will offer all necessay information and design proposals initiatives in defense of workers' rights. They hope to intercharge experiences and information about the situation of the maquila workers in other countries, send representatives to partecipate in international events, and to do tours in those countries where there is an interest in this topic.
Maquilas in El Salvador
"We want to turn El Salvador into one huge Free Trade Zones", declared Salvadoran President, Calderon Sol, in January 1995. By the year's end, for the first time ever, maquila exports surpassed coffee exports. For a country in which coffee has been king for almost a century - at times more than 70% of the avlue of all exports - this shift marks a dramatic transformation in the Salvadoran economy. Today a predominantly female work force of 60.000 are employed in the maquila, and some predict that this figure will double within the next two years. Meanwhile, accounts of labour rights violations in the maquila sector are growing and transnational clothing companies that provide contracts to these local maquila plants - such as the GAP, Liz Claiborne, and J.C. Penney - are increasingly coming under scrutiny.
By breaking the productive process down, transnational corporations have workers abroad carrying out the most tedious, monotonous and unkilled tasks for a fraction of the wages paaid in the home countries. To promote the maquila, special "Free Trade Zones" or "Exporting Processing Zones" have been created which grant companies special tax breaks, free access to the U.S. market, and numerous other benefits. However, due to the size of the investment needed to set up operations inside a Free Trade Zones, usually only foreign companies operate in these zones. Local Salvadoran maquilas do exist, indeed the majority of maquilas are Salvadoran owned, but most operate ouside the zones. They receive government recognition as "Recintos Fiscales" and are also given special tax breaks. Of all the operating maquila plants in the country, 16 are Korean, 15 are U.S., 8 are Taiwanese, the U.S. preferred to do such business in Asia, most notably xith Korean and Taiwan. But union opposition, relatively higher wages and distance made the Asian region less attractive for U.S.-bases multinationals. In addition to "cheaper" labour, the Central American region offers important geographic proximity to the U.S. market, reducing both transportation time and costs. As the Asian business are coming to Central America in increasing numbers to invest and with the probability that the region will receive parity with NAFTA all indicators show that the maquila sector will continue to grow in the region in the years to come.
Working conditions in the Maquila
In El Salvador, workers earn approximately USD $60 an hour. On the average they work 10 hour shift and are often forced paychecks, but then fail to turn these payments over to the proper institution which results in workers not begin able to receive needed medical attention.
Often, in an effort not to distrupt production women are denied their right to visit a doctor when seriously ill. Last year a woman in the Korean-owned Gabo plant died as a result. Overtime is often not paid in full and at times workers receive their wages late. In the case of one Salvadoran-owned plant, Jacob, workers did not receive their paychecks for over six months despite the fact that they had been working full time maquila are predominantly women between 18 and 25 years of age, but there are cases where 16 - and 17 - years-olds are forced to work up to 13 hour days. Many are single mothers and the majority of female workers are forced to take a pregnancy test as a condition for being hired. Should a worker get pregnant - through the company may respect the law and not dismiss her - frequently she is fired once her maternity leave ends. Physically, verbal and sexual harassement are all too common. What can be done? Firstly, while inherently a labour issue, maquila is also a women's issue and the systematic violation of the most basic rights also be called upon to provide needed reseach to what is becoming an increasingly complex economic and social concern. Finally, given the international nature of the sector, the needed for international solidarity becomes more urgent.
COSDEMA
27 Calle Poniente
No 432, Colonia Layco, San Salvador
El Salvador
Phone +503-225 7811
Fax +503-225 0558
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