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I want to hear it in your own words.
We want to see this from your point of view.
What’s your name?
Anselmo Rodriguez Martínez.
You worked 30 years for the Sidra Pino Company.
Approximately 32 years.
The owner was an engineer by the name of Don William Gaber.
Very good person, everything was available; medical attention,
the “Seguro Social”, we had everything.
We had all the benefits according to the law; uniforms, everything.
He went to Houston so he could get a pacemaker and he turned the company over to his brother in law.
How many years have you worked for the Sidra Pino?
Twenty years.
And what is your name? Porfirio Pech.
What kind of work did perform at the Sidra Pino?
I was a forklift driver for the production department.
What is this about? I know you are on strike obviously, but what is going on?
The owner of the business just closed and left.
He did not give us any severance, he did not say a thing,
and he just closed and may “God Bless Us”.
How long have you been on strike?
Since January 20th, 2011 until now.
It’s over a year’s time.
Yes, one year and some months.
And what are you guys doing? I see you with these little cans.
We are asking for donations to help ourselves.
This is how we survive financially and I look for work cutting weeds or anything else that comes along.
That’s how we get by with the family but it’s very difficult.
How do you live? Just from whatever comes along?
Well, we are here for 8 hours
and whatever we are given is for bus fares
or breakfasts we may buy and the rest we take home;
it’s not much, 20 or 30 pesos.
If a business was to employ us and then we ask for permission to come here,
how could we manage that? That’s the situation we face.
So we are waiting to see if this company can be sold
because that is the only way,
since the owner is not here to compensate us
and we would ask for payment based on what can be made from the sale.
Whatever we can do to help, to give you a hand;
that is the reason we are making this video,
so the people are aware. Good luck. Thank you.
How long did you work for Sidra Pino?
Twelve years.
What function did you have there? What was your line of work?
When I started at the Sidra Pino I was a laborer but afterward I was driving a forklift
and when the company closed I was managing the washers.
How much do you collect in a day in the can?
It depends. Since this morning I only have 15 pesos.
In how many hours?
Since 7am. Sometimes it’s only 20 or 30 pesos in eight hours.
How many people are asking for donations here?
Nine or ten per shift.
So the average is 50 pesos per day?
It doesn’t amount to that much and since there are two of us,
I give him money to buy water so it’s not that much. It’s not enough.
How are you making your living right now?
From what little the public donates to us.
The van and bus operators and everyone and the two days a week we have off
that we don’t show up here from 10pm to 6 am, we use to look for small jobs.
Thanks to the efforts of the national delegate we are achieving our purpose.
He told us at our last meeting that it may be by the end of May or June
but it would be better if things were to go faster so we can leave.
He said he would talk to the state’s government to see if an agreement can be reached to pay our severance.
Let them borrow the money and then they can concentrate on selling this place.
Of all the workers that were at the Sidra Pino there are only 60 on strike left?
Yes, because 30 have left.
They only had a few years and they were also young.
That is Sidra Pino’s issue.
We are in this fight until the end and I am very grateful to the media like you that provides this support
so the whole state can know what‘s going on, on a national and state level.
And I thank you so much for giving us your support.
Thank you very much and good luck to you and we hope soon…
We don’t want to be a burden.
No, this is not a burden.
Once again I thank the people who continue to give us their support.
We are with you.
We hope you can achieve something for us, we would be so appreciative.
It’s very important for the people to know your personal stories and what is happening.
It’s not about Sidra Pino, it’s about you guys, your personal story!
Thank you so very much.
Thank you.
May God bless you.
Don Pedro, how long did you work for Sidra Pino?
Thirty eight years.
And what are you doing now?
A comrade brought us this work to help us survive so we can continue with this movement
because we have been here for fifteen months.
In this case a person brought you this plastic so you can recycle it.
Exactly.
The owner has the cash box not the labor union.
That’s right. If he were to pays us we would return everything.
We, at Real Life in Merida want to show the reality of a situation.
We want to talk to real people.
Show you the essence of what is happening. The real thing.
And I don’t think there is anything more real than to talk to the people who are experiencing
this strike first hand that has lasted fifteen months and you have heard their words
what is happening to their families, what they are trying to do,
how they are trying to gather support
and I invite all Yucatecans and foreigners to support these people
because it’s not easy to be on the street
for hours and hours with a can in hand to only collect 15 or 20 pesos a day,
just to have enough to pay for their buses so they can continue this effort
to have something worthy, something that belongs to them.
Thank you very much and we hope all of you can support the employees of Sidra Pino.