When the COVID-19 pandemic spread in the Mexican border city of Mexicali, operations initially continued "as normal" at Autolite plant, a US-owned factory.

Ultimately, the Autolite workers went on strike, reportedly "making spark plugs for export," in disapproval of the alleged failure to implement sanitary procedures of the management.

Following the protest, the state's secretary of labor shut the plant down. After a few days of stoppage, one of the workers who got fired for participating in the protest received a text message. 

The said text message contained an invitation for the worker to return to work under the condition that he "did not drive there: the parking lot of the factory should stay empty." He also said Autolite offered him, along with the other returning workers a 250-peso bonus, on top of a vacation day.

The said employee initially decided it was not worth the risk although he admitted, dozens of other workers were amenable with the terms, and Autolite stayed open and operational.

More Factories Reopened

Other than Autolite, several other factories reopened in the Baja California state. The border states of Mexico are considered home to over 6,000 maquiladoras.

Maquiladoras, in Mexico, "are largely foreign-owned factories manufacturing products for export." This Mexican term is also associated with plants, employing a large number of workers who are now considered the focus of several COVID-19 outbreaks.

Nevertheless, official initiatives to keep "maquiladoras" closed and control the fast spread of COVID-19, have turned under strong pressure from businesses, as well as the officials of the American government who have pressed the Mexican government to keep plants and factories operating at any cost.

Incidentally, the Mexican state, Baja California that has the largest number of maquiladoras, is currently a state reported having the second-biggest number of deaths from COVID-19.

The Tijuana-based labor rights group, Ollin Calli director, Mago Avalos said, some maquiladoras claim it is more practical to pay a fine for non-compliance "than to lose contracts that cost millions of dollars."

For the factory workers, Avalos added, "It is better to have the employees working even if they become ill," than rest and still get paid.

The Mexican government, on Wednesday, came out with a plan to slowly reopen the economy starting May 18 and beginning with mining, construction, and transportation manufacturing sectors although, many "maquiladoras" did not close at all.

Workers Died of the Virus

Specifically in Ciudad Juarez, 18 textile factory workers have reportedly died of COVID-19. A US-owned factory, Lear Corp claimed it stopped operations along the 200-mile border on March 27. More so, the factory said it already transferred its affected workers to a private health facility to undergo treatment, all expenses paid by Lear Corp.

Essentially, 24 cases, Avalos said, have been confirmed among factory workers in Tijuana and 17 others in Mexicali. However, the director continued, the exact figure is perhaps, far more as the COVID-19 test is severely limited, not to mention, the health system being chronically overloaded.

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