Female Labour in Canada and Mexico

1
Female Labour in Canada and Mexico

• A Comparison

2
Female Labour Force ParticipationMexico

• 1930 4 of women ages 12 worked in paid labour
  force
• 1987 45 of women work in paid labour force
• 1998 37 of women work in paid labour force
• Note Percentage of women in unpaid labour force
  is difficult to interpret
• Shift from Agrarian(Rural) to Non-Agrarian Work
  (Urban)
• 1930 1/3 of Mexicans lived in urban areas
• 1998 ¾ of Mexicans lived in urban areas
• 1930 ¾ of paid labour force worked in agrarian
  sector
• 1995 ¼ of paid labour force work in agrarian
  sector

3
Female Labour Force ParticipationCanada

• Clerical occupations (decreasing) 1982 (34),
  1994 (27), 2001 (14).
• Sales and service (stable) 1982, 1994, 2001
  (28).
• Teaching (increasing) 1982 (59), 1994 (63),
  2001 (64, including professors and other
  teachers).
• Natural and applied science (increasing) 1982
  (15), 1994 (19), 2001 (22).
• Manufacturing (increasing) 1982 1994 (18),
  2001 (33).
• Construction (increasing) 1982 (1.4), 2001
  (2.4).

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Men vs. Women

• Canada
• Women spend an average 27.5 hours per week on
  housework compared to men's 10.4
• Men (workhousework) average 55.8 hours a week
  compared to women's 64.3
• 99 of married women say that they did housework.
  While married men do the least with 48 of
  married men saying they do any housework.
• 1987 women earn 20.8 less than men
• 1993 women earn 22 less than men

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The Legal Rights of Women Workers in Mexico

• The labour law states the minimum rights of
  employees.
• However a labour agreement will be essential to
  define the
• rights and obligations to which both the employee
  will be
• subject to (i.e. schedules, work place, scope of
  employee's
• activities, confidentiality obligations, etc.).
• Daily Wage
• Under the labour law an employee should receive
  at least a minimum daily wage (which equals
  approximately U.S 4.50).
•  Equal wages shall be paid for equal work,
  regardless of sex or nationality

8
The Legal Rights of Women Workers in Mexico
Continued

• Employee Benefits
• Under the labour law in Mexico employees are
  entitled to
• Annual vacation at least 6 working days to be
  compensated for
• Annual bonus of at least 15 days of salary
• Profit sharing 10 of pre-tax earnings to be
  distributed among employees

9
The Legal Rights of Women Workers in Mexico
Continued

• Article 123 of Mexicos Constitution states
• The maximum duration of work for one day shall be
  eight hours.
• The maximum duration of a night shift shall be
  seven hours. The following are prohibited
• Dangerous work by women and by minors under
  sixteen years of age
• The use of labour of minors under fourteen years
  of age is prohibited. Persons above that age and
  less than sixteen shall have a maximum work day
  of six hours

10
The Legal Rights of Women in Mexico Continued

• Industrial night work by either of these classes
• For every six days of work a worker must have at
  least one day of rest.
• Three months prior to childbirth, women shall not
  perform physical labour that requires excessive
  effort. After childbirth women are allowed to
  take time to rest and are guaranteed their job
  back

11
Legal Rights of Women Workers in Canada

• Limit on hours of work
• Eight hours in a day or, if the employer
  establishes a regular work day of more than eight
  hours for the employee or more than 48 hours in a
  week.
• Payment of Wages
• A recurring pay period and a recurring pay day
• All wages earned during each pay period will be
  paid on that day
• vacation pay does not have to be paid on this day
• Minimum Wage
• 7.75

12
Legal Rights of Women Workers in Canada Continued

• Overtime  
• At least one and a half times his or her regular
  rate for each hour of work in excess of 44 hours
  in a week
• Termination
• After 3 months of continuous employment the
  employer must provide a written notice to the
  employee before terminating the employment
  contract

13
Domestic Structure Its Relevance to Work and
Labour Canada

• Canadian Households
• married or common-law couples with children aged
  24 and under living at home represented only 44
  (2001)
• couples who had no children living at home
  accounted for 41 of all families in 2001
• 2001 Canadian Census, same-sex couples
  represented 0.5 of all couples
• In general of people living along increased,
  of traditional families decreased

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Domestic Structure and Its Relevance to work and
Labour Canada Continued

• Income in Household
• Standard of Living in Canada
• Government Assistance
• Welfare
• Pension
• Disability
• Child Tax Benefit
• Healthcare

15
Domestic Structure Its Relevance to Work and
Labour

• CASE 1
• MARGARITA

16
Domestic Structure Its Relevance to Work and
Labour Continued

• Margarita
• 40 years old
• (Free Trade) Zone 6 years
• 4 people in the household
• Husband is occasionally employed
• Expenses divided in the household food, water

• 530 goes to work
• 355 pesos a week
• Gained authority in the home income
• Sewing clothes production worker
• May go to the bathroom only for two minutes
• Workers fired unions

17
Domestic Structure Its Relevance to Work and
Labour Continued

• Key Issues Presented
• Long hours
• Lack of contraception
• Multiple children
• Large families
• Single women
• Living standards

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CHANGES IN FAMILY SIZE, BY RURAL AND URBAN AREAS
Source Gisela Quiterio, 1993. Mujeres
Latinoamericanas en Cifras. FLACSO-Instito de la
Mujer.
20
Domestic Structure Its Relevance to Work and
Labour Continued

• Domestic Violence
• Human Rights Commission Mexico City, 80 of
  female victims of domestic violence are victims
  on multiple occasions
• Maternal mortality rates are double the national
  rates and the regional prevalence of domestic
  violence affects between 30 to 40 percent of
  adult women
• Recent growth of female labour
• Struggle of authority in the household
• Male dependence of female earning

21
Domestic Structure Its Relevance to Work and
Labour Mexico Continued

• Domestic Structure
• the national population growth rate has decreased
  from 3.5 and 7.2 children/mother in the 1960's
  to 1.4 and 2.4 children/mother in 1999.
• Catholic Church abortion is strictly regulated
• Large families distant family and groups of
  families living together

22
Unions and Female Roles in Unions - Canada

• Union association of wage-earners for the
  purpose of maintaining or improving the
  conditions of their employment
• First union in Canada 1870s a group of Hamilton
  workers started the nine-hour-movement,
• Modern unions provide benefits with such things
  as professional training, legal advice, and
  representation for members
• Unionization in Canadas public sector 70,
  private companies 20.

23
Unions and Female Roles in Unions Canada
Continued

• In 1977, 10 of female workers were members of
  unions. 2000s, almost 30
• In 2003 approximately 32 of labour force was
  unionized,
• 46.5 of unionized workers were female
• Manufacturing - most unionized industry in
  Canada, almost 30 of union members are female
• Education - 65 of union members are female

24
Unions and Female Roles in Unions - Mexico

• Unionization is difficult because 50 of the
  workforce is employed in the informal economy ex
  street vendors
• "official unions"
• ex Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM) -
  negotiate "protection contracts" intended to
  protect the employers from legitimate unions.
• Official unions are dominated by authoritarian
  and macho men

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Unions and Female Roles in Unions Mexico
Continued

• Official unions collaborate with Mexican
  Federal and state governments, labor boards and
  employers to prevent workers from democratizing
  "official unions and forming independent labour
  unions
• Women have little or no representation in
  official unions
• Effectiveness
• 51.2 of women workers receive no benefits,
• 29.3 receive less than minimum wage,
• 46 work 12 hours a day or at least 60 hours a
  week

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Unions and Female Roles in Unions Mexico
Continued

• HOWEVER women often organize their workplaces
  and communities in an attempt to force these
  phony unions to represent them
• Success has been achieved in these unions which
  have a majority of female workers
• Mexican Teachers Union
• Union of Workers of the National Autonomous
  University of Mexico
• Mexican Flight Attendants Union
• Authentic Labor Front
• Mexican prostitutes