Talking with co-workers while working is prohibited and every minute of work that a worker misses is deducted from her or his pay. Workdays vary and are dictated by norms established by the management, depending on consumer demand of various products, which means workers are given little notice of long or short workdays. On average, maquila workers will work between 10 and 12 hours, but are often obliged to work extra hours until very late at night, without pay. The other unions were disbanded or the factories where workers were organized had been closed. Union Repression Repression against union leaders in the maquilas comes in many forms, ranging from isolation in the workplace and denial of work or incentives, to intimidations and browbeating, and to dismissal of 'troublemakers'.
Union leaders are regularly the targets of death threats.
Kidnapping, torture and assassination are still part of the repertoire of methods used to violate human rights in the labor sector in Guatemala. In the last month union leaders in the maquila sector have attempted to organize on a Central American level, to work together to find solutions to their situations. The main market for maquila products is an integral part of the problem. In this sense, Julio Coj added that 'the central and most important point is the government, responsible for the gravity of the situation. Peace Brigades International and Maquila Workers Peace Brigades International has received a number of requests for international protective accompaniment coming from the maquila sector, from maquila worker's unions as well as from labor federations which bring together various unions.