The maquila: a gem of potential locked in a hodgepodge of problems
Made in Honduras.
You will never buy another article of clothing without checking for those three little words once your sojourn in Honduras gives you a unique insight into the politics, the trade agreements and the myriad of livelihoods that lie behind them.
The maquila industry is booming in Honduras. Behind those anonymous factory walls are sewn thousands of dozens of trousers, shirts, skirts, intimate wear and more, all destined for the shopping malls of the developed world.
Honduran workers are popular with international manufacturers because they learn quickly, enjoy their new-found earning opportunities and are generally gentle and amenable.
What did all these people do before the advent of the maquilas? Good question. Most of them, when asked, respond with a blank look and a shrug. They come from the countryside. They are largely undereducated and unskilled. Most are young women between the ages of 16 and 35 who flock from all over the country eager to earn the minimum wage. While the base pay in other parts of the country is as low as Lps. 16.00 a day, the starting wage in the maquilas is Lps. 24.00 and can go as high as Lps. 29.00.
Apparel Industry Magazine reports that rather than increasing pay beyond regional norms, U.S. manufacturers tend to boost benefits in order to retain employees.
Silvia Matute, marketing manager at ZIP Bufalo, told Honduras This Week that Fortune 500 companies like Fruit of the Loom, Vanity Fair, Wrangler and Sara Lee can offer a more impressive array of benefits that some of the more modest operations. One such benefit is a free or highly subsidized hot lunch. The five cafeterias at ZIP Bufalo offer plates of the day for up to Lps. 8.00. At ZIP Buenavista, one company leased its cafeteria to the popular Honduran restaurant chain Jose y Pepe's.
Not all of the maquilas have jumped on the catering bandwagon, however. At noon, less fortunate workers can be seen scouting around for a tree to sit under or resting on the highway medians and sidewalks.
The heart of the progressive apparel plant is the sewing floor. Well-dressed and well-kempt operators work in a modern, brightly lit and cool environment while the rhythmic sounds of Latin music charge the atmosphere with energy and conviviality.
TAMING THE MASSES
The enormous growth in the industry, however, has given these young workers a high degree of choice. They are a fluid and unpredictable labor force and family and romantic concerns often take precedence over employment, says one manufacturing manager.
Absenteeism is another problem because the line depends on each operator in it. Replacements can be found for absent workers, but they are never as efficient as the original operator.
In an effort lower the turnover rate, which currently stands at about 30 percent, many human resources departments have developed programs to foster a spirit of unity and loyalty. Recreational clubs sponsor soccer, ping pong and volleyball leagues and factories hold Christmas parties, birthday parties and beauty pageants. The 100% Club rewards high-performance employees with monthly get togethers and flags on their machines. Workers also have access to a savings and loan program and scholarships to complete their educations or take courses in English, management and other topics.
Different factories offer different production incentives as well. Some pay extra for pieces assembled beyond a set goal; others reward entire production lines for extra performance. Fast workers can boost their Lps. 600 monthly base salary to an average of Lps. 1,300 and as high as Lps. 3,000. In a country where police salaries were just increased to Lps. 800 a month and qualified teachers earn Lps. 2,000, the maquila salary can be astonishing.
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
Housing in the vicinity of the maquila work place is a persistent problem. The Honduran Maquila Association estimated in 1994 that there were 50,000 people working in the maquilas and related industries. These people need places to live and reliable transportation -- both of which are lacking.
Like other industrial parks, ZIP San Miguel generates plentiful employment opportunities. It is surrounded by makeshift buildings that have become a town of their own and innumerable clusters of houses dot the hillside along the main road.
Rita Hernández, who lives in one of these makeshift communities, says young women commonly come to her colonia in search of a place to live. One day Marta, having found work in a nearby maquila, came looking for a place to live and was content to sleep on a petate (a reed mat) in front of Rita's refrigerator. Quick to seize the opportunity, Rita build four new rooms and now enjoys 12 paying guests and her new role as landlady. She still rises at 4:00 a.m., the only time water is pumped to her neighborhood, to fill her tanks. Then she cooks breakfast for her borders and catches the bus to San Pedro Sula, where she holds down two domestic jobs. Her refrigerator allows her to make an extra income selling cold drinks out of her home. She says one day she'll have enough to open a roadside cafe.
Eighteen-year-old Martina came to ZIP San Miguel from Comayagua armed with a diploma in cutting and sewing. Although she pays Lps. 100 a month to stay in one of Rita's apartments, she still has more money left over than she has ever had before.
WEIGHING ADVANTAGES
After Hurricane Fifi destroyed the town of Choloma, Hondurans called it Ciudad Martir, or the City of the Martyrs, because of all it had suffered. With the birth of the maquilas, however, the city has been revived and business is flourishing, especially small businesses like pharmacies, shops and restaurants.
But the local government has been unable to keep up with the explosion of the Sula Valley labor force. The infrastructure required to match the growth is not there, despite the fact that the current population is predicted to double by the year 2010. A recent El Tiempo report described the San Pedro Sula maquila zone as a time bomb of unorganized growth.
Rents in San Pedro Sula have risen sky high, affecting everyone, even those who have nothing to do with the maquila industry. In addition, water and electricity are becoming increasingly scarce, deforestation is on the rise, industry is encroaching on agricultural lands, and the 1993 Environment Law has not quelled the dumping of untreated waste water into regional rivers and lagoons.
Nevertheless, Rashid Maalouf, a prominent businessman, is emphatic in noting the enormous social benefits -- employment, health care, a booming economy -- that the maquila industry carries with it as well. He points out that the industry has become a vital part of the Honduran economy, generating an estimated $250 million annually.
This is an important fact to keep in mind.
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