Resistance Studies

Stellan Vinthagen October 12th, 2009

Report from the first Resistance Studies Seminar of this semester:
A City of Cheap Labor

Associate Prof Edmé Domínguez R from Latin American Studies, School of Global studies, University of Gothenburg told about the “Maguiladora”, something she is making research on, looking on the mobilization/labour organizing of women at these places, and their resistance.

Quoted from Wikipedia: “A maquiladora or maquila is a factory that imports materials and equipment on a duty-free and tariff-free basis for assembly or manufacturing and then re-exports the assembled product, usually back to the originating country. A maquila is also referred to as a “twin plant”, or “in-bond” industry. Currently about 1.1 million Mexicans are employed in maquiladoras.”

The maquiladoras have become the model of modernization and globalization in Mexico. These kinds of factories (sometimes called “sweatshops”) exists as well in rich countries, e.g. in the US (in e.g. Texas).
We saw an extract of about 50 min from the documentary /Maquilapolis/: http://www.maquilapolis.com/
The work at a Maquiladora is unhealthy, stressful and exploitative. The salary is very low (ca 11 USD a day) and don’t cover basic needs, but gives a chance to live for those otherwise without jobs. Environmental problems are found in the areas of Maquiladoras bacause of pollution. Most unions are “ghost unions”, loyal to the corporations and existing only on paper. Those organizing their own unions are fired. Workers try with law-suits against coporations because of health damages they receive but the compensations are very low. But the workers are getting more organized in self-help groups and trade-unions doing demonstrations. Today many factories move to Asia, trying to find even lower paid workers, leaving polluted environments, empty factories and dangerous waste. But the women organize agreements with different agencies in Mexico and the US to clean the area of Tijuana.
Discussion:

The resistance that work is the labour carried out by women’s NGOs supported by  transnational cooperation with other labor groups and women’s movements. That is what gives attention to their conditions. The women try to make the corporations accountable for what they do. The only possible strategy to stop the out-sourcing and to get higher labor standards is transnational organization of labor.  This film made by the women themselves is an example of such a resistence and transnational support.Most resistance is done in micro scale, by small groups and individuals. There is a lack of lobor organization on a wider scale.

A major problem is that the corporations move when they find cheapter labor or after a successful mobilization of labor. Independent trade-unions are the most difficult thing to organize and the greatest fear of the corporations, thus they are forbidden. Women’s groups and NGOS do their labour of resistance in the neighbourhood where the workers live since they are forbidden at the work-place. Promotoras or activists of these groups gather these women ot give them information on their rights. They organize also some workshops on both women’s  and labour rights. They educate themselves, get help from lawyers, environmental experts, etc. It is difficult to organize their own community based jobs and support since bank loans are not possible for them.

Although cooperative “maquiladoras” exist they are totally dependent on international solidarity.  resistance takes also form of environmental groups to fight the huge environmental problems since  the governments  don’t care  as we are talking about health problems among very poor communities. But when there is international support and attention there can be something done. International consumer boycotts are helpful but difficult against huge transnationals. The US organization Students against Sweatshops are focusing on textile production and their support is more visible in maquiladoras in the South of Mexico and Central America than in the Mexican Northern border.. More ambitious kind of transtional labor organizations are needed. Many of the women are negative to trade-unions since they have bad experiences of extremely patriarchial and organized from above.

• Gender , Resistance , Seminar
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