Due to instability in Motul’s construction sector, many bricklayers are migrating to Mérida and the Yucatán coast in search of better job opportunities. Over the past year, an increasing number of bricklayers have left Motul, driven by the lack of stable employment, adequate benefits, and competitive salaries.
In Motul’s city center, it’s common to see groups of bricklayers waiting for transportation provided by construction companies to take them to job sites. Several bricklayers have shared that the scarcity of long-term employment and the absence of labor benefits in Motul push them to seek work elsewhere.
Master bricklayer Juan José Pinto, who has been working outside Motul for five years, explained that he decided to leave the city after losing his job when a project ended. “The salary was good, but I didn’t have insurance to protect me in case of an accident,” he said.
Pinto noted that construction job opportunities in Motul are typically temporary, forcing many bricklayers to look for work in Mérida and along the Yucatán coast. “There are no long-term jobs here, so we are compelled to go to the big projects in Mérida or on the coast,” he added.
The bricklayers who migrate are in the age range from 18 to 60 years old. Despite the distance and sacrifices, they have found more favorable working conditions elsewhere. Experienced bricklayer Santiago Lara mentioned that this year, eight colleagues who previously worked in Motul joined his work group. “We are working on a construction site in the North zone and are paid well,” Lara said.
In Motul, a bricklayer can earn approximately 2,000 pesos a week without additional benefits. In contrast, those who migrate to Mérida or the coast receive around 3,000 pesos a week, along with lunch, transportation, and access to social security.
It is estimated that around 300 bricklayers from Motul regularly migrate to Mérida and the coast, and this number is expected to increase as new construction projects begin. “They are going to start building more buildings, and they have already told us that if we know more colleagues, we should invite them because these are jobs they are offering us,” they mentioned.
At the beginning of this year, about 20 bricklayers joined the migrant workers’ union in search of new job opportunities. Although many are forced to move for better salary conditions, they do not rule out taking on local jobs as a complement to their work on large construction projects. “Here, working on a permanent basis is not feasible. After a project is finished, we are not left unemployed. In Mérida, they recommend us, and that helps us,” they said.
Source: Por Esto
