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Marta Lisia
and Maria |
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Marta Lisia and Maria from the packing plant
Photo:
Jo Lyon/Oxfam
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Marta Lisia and Maria work at the vegetable packing plant. Their
job involves washing and packing the vegetables, and supervising
other staff. Quality control is very important. They have to spot
mould and worms on the produce, and check that the vegetables are
the right shape. If they are misshapen they cannot be sold abroad.
Maria says: “I am a widow and have five children to support.
Here we earn 800 quetzales a month (approximately £70), which
is above the minimum wage. It is possible to earn more in other
companies, but here the conditions are better. We get coffee breaks
and meal breaks, we can use the kitchen, and we get benefits that
other jobs don’t provide, like payment when we are ill.”
Marta Lisia says: “The vegetables here are really good. I
am really happy and proud to work here. But I think it is a shame
that some people seem to value the products of Guatemala more than
they value the people here.”
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