Mahela

Mahela is a fifty-eight year old resident of Florence who works within the second-tier of the fashion supply chain preparing raw materials for production. Within his pelletteria, or leather-goods factory, Mahela works as a sandblaster to first remove the fur from leather hides, remove any remaining sand particles, and then pass off the material to the quality control department in his factory. This leather is then used to construct handbags for a well-known luxury brand.

After multiple years working for this company, Mahela reached out to a lawyer to understand his right as an employee. He believed the company was treating him and his other colleagues differently than the Italians, and also believed the company was not treating him according to the rules and regulations. stipulated within his contract. A year later, Mahela has stable working hours, a consistent salary, and a different company managing his contract and monthly payments.

During our discussion, Mahela spoke about the importance of the permanent contract that he receives through the company, as it is what allowed him to bring his immediate family members to Italy and for him to buy a house. However, after he finally obtained those things, he wasn’t afraid to contact a lawyer. As for his other colleagues though, he spoke of how many of them are afraid of the management and at times were even willing to go behind his back and tell the managers he spoke poorly about the company, for “some kind of advantage.”

Mahela’s experience underlines the importance for immigrants to understand their working rights, avenues for assistance and reporting, and regulations brands are expected to follow to avoid maltreatment and exploitation. Mani Visibili hopes to make this information more accessible.*