The Factory
“Engineer, the workers are complaining about the new way in which they have to cut the flowers. They claim it takes them longer now and they will not make as much money as other days.”
The face of the engineer changes; he looks upset. He takes his cell phone and walks quickly and decidedly to the processing plant.
The fifteen workers are cutting stems. They wear green jumpers, yellows boots and nylon nets cover their hair. A radio is playing tropical music in the background.
The engineer enters. Nervously the director of the line of production runs and handles him the forms with the statistics of the day. The workers look down, the music stops and deep silence fills the plant.
The engineer watches the numbers and finally says annoyed: - I heard that you are complaining about the work you have been asked to do. Who is complaining and what are the complaints about?
Terrified, the workers try to become invisible; all but one of them.
Rosa, a young woman with a beautiful and intelligent glance, is the only one who is looking at him directly into his eyes.
Slowly, with calmed voice, she gives her reasons why the new work they have to perform is not convenient for them.
The annoyance of the engineer becomes fury. He shouts and reminds them of how good the work conditions are in that factory and announces that the lunch subsidy will be cut unless the production increases. - If some has a problem or suggestion in the future, come to me and say it.
Rosa looks at him as he turns around and leaves the plant. Resigned, she takes a flower and begins to perform the new cut.
She cuts more flowers than any of the other women every day. She is an innate leader and in few hours she could learn how to fill out the forms. Given the right conditions she could become in a couple of years the director of the factory.
Rosa will never be promoted. It is hard to find cutters as efficient as she.
