The company, part of the Maia & Borges group, a national leader in the production of painted PVC figures and toys, has been operating in Guarda since 2020, employing 130 people and producing exclusively for export.
A 24-hour strike has been organized as an “act of desperation because these 130 women are at their limit after not receiving salaries for two months,” explained Paulo Ferreira, leader of the Union of Workers in the Manufacturing, Energy, and Environmental Activities of the North Center (SITE), in a statement to the press.
“Some of them are single mothers earning the minimum wage. It is very challenging to go two months without receiving pay. Even with their salaries, managing is a tightrope walk, let alone when payments are late,” criticized the union leader.
According to Paulo Ferreira, this situation is impacting the personal and family lives of the workers, with some currently on medical leave.
“Of the 130 workers at MB2, only 60 were working today [Thursday], as the rest could not withstand the pressure and are on leave. This indicates that the situation is so dire that these employees are breaking down,” he highlighted.
Paulo Ferreira noted that payments for March and April salaries are pending, a situation never previously encountered at MB2 Manufacture, which has been operating in Guarda for five years.
“This is the first time there have been salary delays, although significantly late payments have been common for quite some time. Workers typically receive their paychecks around the 11th or 12th of the month,” he explained.
The union leader mentioned that “the salary for February was paid on March 28.”
“The employer justifies the situation by saying that the client has not been paying the company, and therefore, there is no money to pay salaries. This is puzzling, as the workers have tasks to perform, indicating something is not functioning properly,” he argued.
Paulo Ferreira shared that SITE met with the company’s human resources manager on the 6th to attempt to avert the strike, but to no avail.
“For now, we will go through with this 24-hour strike; afterwards, it’s up to the workers to decide what steps should be next,” he said.
The purpose of the strike is to demand the payment of March and April salaries and to ensure future wages are paid “by the 1st of each month,” along with improvements in working conditions at the Guarda factory.
The SITE leader expects a “90% adherence” to the strike.
Attempts to reach the company’s administration were unsuccessful.
