Jesus Caritas

One of them

Although I am no longer working there now I promised you to write and tell you about the six years I spent in the garments factory in Quenzon City and how I felt I could live to the full my vocation as a little sister there. Our company produced women’s clothes of good quality and style for various occasions and they were distributed nationwide by buyers who could make a big profit. In my last year there we were also sewing for another company and the goods ended up in leading department stores in Metro Manila.

Sad conditions

Workers there had no contract. You had to fit into the system. The average wage was very low. If your work was to put together a whole dress you were paid per dress. During the peak season, September to March we were forced to work 12 -15 hours without extra money. Workers sleeping on the premises were asked to do 24 hour shifts twice a week with no extra wage. Finishers, who trimmed, ironed and packed, likewise received a minimum, plus free board and lodging.
In the beginning nobody dared to speak to the boss or even less to the supervisor. Eventually we started to meet with the boss but some workers were asked to leave. Gradually the situation improved a little and there were tiny increases in the wages. It was a long and painful process but worth it.

Real lessons from real people

What I share is like a tiny speck of the wider reality concerning workers in so many parts of the world. My co-workers, mostly women, have taught me much more about life than what I learned from books. Most of them are mothers who left their families in the provinces and can seldom visit them because travel is too expensive. They would rather send their salary home. Most of them did not go to church but believed deeply in a God who would never abandon them. This faith gave them the courage to continue.