Domestic work is obviously difficult to regulate because workers aren’t
employed on an individual basis, especially when workers are migrating
from country to country, often without documentation.  What is more
disturbing is that women who are working in formal export industries
such as agriculture, textiles, and fish processing, with high
production demands in the US market, also lack most legal rights and
protections. If labor laws can protect these workers, they’re
systematically un-enforced.

Let’s look at the example of women working
in shrimp processing in Bangladesh and Thailand. The industry is
dominated by migrant women who hope to get away from abusive domestic
work. Ironically they are often faced with equally bad situations of
precarious, informal employment in shrimp processing.  They are
targeted by labor recruiters or sub contractors who are paid by the
company to bring in workers and then responsible for distributing wages
amongst their own recruits. This allows companies to avoid
accountability and evade legal responsibility if workers report
egregious abuses. Jobs are mostly temporary, lasting a few months, and
wages are often based on unrealistic production quotas. Even if they do
meet quota, they are often not paid the promised wage because there is
little oversight.

Women are recruited for these types of jobs because they are more
vulnerable economically and socially. In many cases, they have been
physically threatened and locked inside their work facilities, but
because of gender exploitation and economic circumstance, they have no
choice but to hold on to these jobs.  Here’s a profile from the
Solidarity Center Report, “The True Cost of Shrimp”.

‘“Anjira,” a shrimp processor, is 20 years old and has been working in
a plant for two years. Before obtaining a job in a shrimp processing
plant, Anjira was abandoned by her husband when she was six months
pregnant and raising a two-year-old daughter. She worked briefly as a
housemaid
but was excited at the chance of steady work at a shrimp processing
facility. She makes about $32 a month, does know her rights under the
law, and feels completely at the mercy of her employer. She would like
to be paid more but would never think of challenging her employer,
because she simply cannot afford to lose her job.”

Yes, these women are processing the lovely shrimp cocktail that we
enjoy on a nice summer day. You can find these very shrimp at Costco,
Giant, Harris Teeter, Trader Joe’s, and Wal-Mart under a number of
brands. (More detailed info can be found in the report.)

What role does the US have in all of this?  Well, for one, US companies
and western economic institutions (the World Bank, WTO, and IMF) coerce
countries into incorporating labor flexibilization measures into their
labor law as part of their economic development strategies.  It is
another component of the Washington Consensus and the neo-liberal
belief that free markets and deregulation should be central to global
economic development.  It happens to greatly benefit US multinational
corporations, namely the Big Box retailers that supply from these
shrimp processing companies, to name just one example out of
thousands.  Increasing labor market flexibility allows companies to
evade accountability to their workers and keeps prices cheap by getting
subcontractors and recruiters to do their dirty work.  It creates more
temporary, unstable jobs where workers don’t have written contracts and
lack benefits and social or legal protections.  Because workers can’t
point to a single employer and are not employed throughout the year, it
is nearly impossible for “casual” workers to organize into unions where
they could improve their wages and working conditions through
collective bargaining.  Women bear most of the brunt of these
exploitive policies as they face similar problems to those in informal
domestic work both here and abroad.

What role do US consumers play in reinforcing this type of employment
for women abroad?  Well, we are the ones who love to buy cheap goods
from Big Box retailers like Wal-mart and Costco. We could probably do
without eating cheap fish, bananas, and melons from all over the world
if it means engendering these types of egregious labor conditions.
Think twice about buying your next bag of 5.99 frozen shrimp. Unlike
domestic work abroad, we have a real connection to the plight of these
women and have the power to pressure these companies to make real
changes. 

On the positive side, women are becoming more empowered and organizing
in mass as we’ve seen with the Committee of Women Seeking Justice, a
committee of domestic workers seeking equal labor protections in
Montgomery County, Maryland.  In Central America, the Working and
Unemployed Women’s Movement (MEC) held their tenth Annual Meeting of
Women Maquila Workers for in Managua, Nicaragua.  They discussed how
recent trade policies, namely CAFTA and the Association Agreement wih
Europe will affect third world women.  Numerous other women’s
organizations are demanding justice for working women in the U.S. and
around the world.   Look for more on Rights for Working Women issues
soon.