The paper of the cuadrilla in the pinch of the orange: The example of Tamaulipas

Abstract

The central zone of Tamaulipas citrus cultivation, the dominant production, employs more than five thousand day laborers annually. The basic characteristics of employment in this sector are labor irregularity and underemployment. The pinch of the orange, the activity that concentrates the bulk of labor demand, is characterized by the alternation of short periods of over-work with long periods of inactivity. The cuadrilla is the cell of the labor organization of the orange pickers. The crew is not just a group of day laborers who work together. The permanent situation of socio-labor instability means that strong solidarity networks are woven within the group, which helps to alleviate the most dramatic situations. This work, through a qualitative methodology, analyzes the social function performed by the squad in a framework where the worker lacks social protection networks.