The Vulnerables: How Women Working in Medical Device Supply Chain Were Devastated During COVID-19

Working in an Essential Factory During COVID-19

The speaker discusses working at Smiths Medical, an essential factory that produces medical devices. They talk about the lack of safety measures and how sick workers are not sent home.

Working in an Essential Factory

• More than 30 people work on a single production line, making it impossible to maintain safe distances.

• Despite the high risk of contagion, essential companies like Smiths Medical did not close down due to their importance in saving lives.

• The speaker got sick with COVID-19 after experiencing symptoms such as headaches and foot pain. They were given Ibuprofen by the factory medic and were not sent home despite many other workers being sick.

Lack of Safety Measures

• The speaker notes that hygiene protection is used to protect production rather than the health of workers.

• Two people known to the speaker died from COVID-19 while working at Smiths Medical.

Vulnerability and Ageism in Mexican Factories During COVID-19

The speaker discusses how vulnerable workers are afraid to report illnesses due to fear of losing their jobs. They also discuss ageism in factories and how older workers are treated poorly.

Fear of Reporting Illnesses

• Many vulnerable people do not report illnesses such as diabetes because they fear being fired.

Ageism in Factories

• Workers over 40 years old are often fired because they are seen as less productive than younger workers.

Treatment of Older Workers

• Companies try to avoid giving compensation when firing older employees who have worked for them for many years.

• Older workers are treated poorly and made to feel unwelcome so that they will leave without compensation.

Fighting for Fair Wages During COVID-19

The speaker discusses how workers at Smiths Medical are not being paid their full wages during the pandemic. They also talk about the difficulty of finding work elsewhere due to health issues.

Unfair Wages

• Workers are only being paid $800 pesos weekly, which is not enough to cover basic expenses.

• The proposed increase in salary and bonuses is not enough for workers who have been risking their lives during the pandemic.

Difficulty Finding Work Elsewhere

• The speaker has been unable to work due to health problems and needs the money from Smiths Medical.

Challenges of Working in a Maquiladora

In this section, the speaker discusses her experiences working in a maquiladora and the challenges she has faced.

Working Conditions

• The speaker describes how workers are mistreated and bullied by management.

• Many workers become sick from working in maquiladoras, with some even dying on the production line.

Personal Experiences

• The speaker shares her personal experience of being a single mother with three children and earning less than $15 per day.

• She initially stayed quiet about poor treatment out of fear of losing her job but eventually realized that she needed to stand up for herself.

Standing Up for Workers' Rights

• The speaker asserts that she will not be pushed out of her job and plans to sue if necessary.

• She encourages young people and new workers to learn their rights and stand up against mistreatment.