Ra Ximhai (Jan 2016)
COFFEE CUTTERS IN MEXICO. THE UNDERWORLD OF DECENT WORK
Abstract
The objective of this article is to explain the difficulties implied in the coffee cutters insertion into labor relationships suitable of decent work. In order to do so, the following structure was designed for presenting the research. The first section analyzes the labor market environment, while characterizing the employers aiming to identify their importance both in the different production links and in the employment level, as well as the employment alternatives in the producing localities, some tendencies of the harvested zones and the difficulties for the production restructuration. The second part, points out some factors that affected the producers majority, since the coffee market deregulation and its effects on its impoverishment, and in most cases, the producers’ cease of their activity. The third section analyzes the socioeconomic state of day laborers, stressing out the relevant characteristics for their insertion into the labor market, such as illiteracy, scarce formal education and indigenous language speakers, with the objective of explaining their low capacities for labor mobility in formal labor markets. In the fourth part their employment characteristics are analyzed, their income levels, and some elements regarding their consumption structure are presented due to the fact that since their income determines their consumption, and it’s monotonous, limited and of low nutritional quality. Coffee cutters are an important nucleus of day laborers, which is employed without contracts, benefits, works four months per year in this activity, a third of the overall workers surpass fifty years of age, and their income only are sufficient for eating only tortillas and beans during the high employment level period. Accordingly, it is stated that if there is a floor in the decent work, the coffee cutters are on it.
