2 Million Agricultural Workers in Mexico Labor Under 'Semi-Slavery' Conditions Television del Sur
go to original April 7, 2015

Alejandrina Castillo, 12, picks chile peppers near Teacapan, Sinaloa. An estimated 100,000 children toil in Mexican fields for pay. (Don Bartletti/The Los Angeles Times)

The recently exposed exploitation of agricultural workers in the northwestern Mexican state of Baja California Sur is only the tip of the iceberg, as over 2 million workers in at least 18 states in the country are subjected to “semi-slavery” conditions, La Jornada reported Monday.

A report by the Red de Jornaleros Internos (Network of Internal Day Laborers) revealed that 90 percent of agricultural workers do not have a contract and, therefore, have no labor rights, such as social security, medical services, or bonuses. In fact, it added that eight of 10 of these workers do not have access to doctors in case of sickness or accidents.

The study also revealed that over 60 percent of the agricultural laborers suffering abuses and “semi-slavery” practices are indigenous people from the poorest states of Mexico, such as Guerrero and Oaxaca.

The organization indicated that the workers are forced to live in camps under inhumane conditions and are also forced to work 15 hours a day, which is about double the legally permitted time.

According to La Jornada, the network indicated that between 2007 and 2015, 40 children have been reported to have died while working in the fields, while many accidents and illnesses have also been registered in which the victims have not received proper attention.

“The death of minors is due to the fact that children working in fields has become endemic. Children suffer accidents at work, abuses, sicknesses, malnutrition, premature births and the lack of medical attention,” the study added

Thousands of cases of abuse and modern-day slavery are committed by national as well as international companies, the organization reported.

“Millions of people are being exploited, forced to work and live under semi-slavery conditions, and in many cases these companies are working in coordination with government officials,” they added.

Over 20 percent of the agricultural workers are under 18 years of age. This amounts to about 433,000 thousand minor workers who are living under extreme conditions.

The children and women working in agricultural fields are far more vulnerable than men, as in many cases they suffer sexual abuse and are paid less, they said.

In light of this situation, the network, which consists of many indigenous and farm workers organizations, have called on all levels of government to resolve this issue and demanded that all agricultural laborers be urgently incorporated to the social security system.

See the original at Television del Sur

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