Honduran Melon Workers Strike to Receive Minimum Wage

On October 14th workers at the Santa Rosa melon plantation called off their 10 day long strike, when the Labor Ministry demanded that the agricultural company pay workers the legal minimum wage.

The 300 workers who went on strike report that they were being paid 60 lempiras (about $3.15) per 8 hour day by the Suragro melon company, which was less than half of the local minimum wage of 122 lempiras. The company offered to pay the workers 72 lempiras daily, with a later raise of 8 lempiras.

They also report that the company has failed to make social security payments, comply with other legal benefits, and has not offered any protection to workers handling dangerous chemicals.

Workers initially rejected the small wage increase, stating that they would work for no less than the minimum wage. They later signed an agreement with the company to accept the offer, but the ruling by the Labor Ministry suggests that they may recieve the full minimum wage if the ruling is enforced. According to Honduran law, workers can not sign away their rights, meaning that the minimum wage law still applies in this case.

According the company, there are 5,000 workers on two farms who have been receiving this wage.