Mexican state moves against farmworkers protest, arrests 200
Mexican state moves against farmworkers protest, arrests 200
Mar 18, 10:41 PM EDT
MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Police arrested more than 200 people in the Mexican border state of Baja California in a bid to quash protests and road blockages by farmworkers demanding higher wages, officials said Wednesday.
Farmworkers around the town of San Quintin often make less than $8 a day picking fruit and vegetables. They want wages raised to about $20 a day, according to some protesters.
In a statement posted on the website of one of the organizers, the workers said they want overtime pay, benefits, medical care and an end to sexual harassment by bosses.
The stoppages have affected the rich agricultural area south of the coastal city of Ensenada. Many of the large farms export much of their produce to the United States, while many of the farm workers come from poor southern states like Oaxaca and Chiapas.
More:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LT_MEXICO_FARMWORKERS_PROTEST?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-03-18-21-58-32
