A study by the newspaper El Universal has revealed that giant multi-nationals like Walmart, McDonalds and Domino’s Pizza are among the worst payers in Mexico.
Cashiers and assistants in these firms can expect to receive little more than 2,400 pesos per month, while the companies themselves generate billions in annual profits.
The report also found that Walmart, despite being the biggest corporate employer in Mexico, with 197,000 employees, skirts close to the line of illegality in its employment practices. The company questions whether employees are pregnant and asks intrusive health questions, which are considered discriminatory under Mexican law.
According to social anthropologist Mercedes Gonzalez de la Rocha, the practices of such companies, and the creation of a poorly paid, insecure work culture, can have damaging implications for society.
“People go to live with their parents to avoid paying rent, more family members work, they sacrifice their diet, eating twice rather than three times a day,” Rocha said. “But the deterioration of the work culture also affects the social contract and trust between individuals.”