Patience, This Year the School Uniforms Are Late

Bulletin board displays in the schools announce the sale of uniforms. (14ymedio)

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Luz Escobar, Havana, 26 July 2019 — Bulletin boards in schools or workplaces are often ornaments hung in a corner, loaded with historical events and photos that nobody pays attention to. However, at certain times they gain prominence and dozens of eyes gather around, such as when the date school uniforms will go on sale is posted, which sets off tensions, annoyance and hours of waiting for the families every year.

These days, parents are very attentive to the window for the sale of uniforms, because a day lost in finding out could mean their child’s size is no longer available in the store. At the points of sale, the shelves are still empty, but on the bulletin boards are the details regarding the marketing of this essential clothing.

Normally this moment comes between May and June, when the distribution of the garments begins, but this year the situation has changed. The delay in the arrival of the raw material has affected the manufacture and subsequent distribution of the uniforms, for which this year’s number is three million.

Factory workers have had to work overtime and holidays to complete the production and meet the demand, and according to a report on national television from the managers of the Apparel Company, 80% of the uniforms are now finished.

The Deputy Minister of Internal Trade, Nancy Valdés, announced that the beginning of the sale could not be guaranteed at the end of July and during the month of August, and asked for patience, noting that it is a priority issue for the Government.

Mirla Díaz, vice president of the Light Industry business group, said that the arrival of the raw material occurred at the beginning of June and that, as soon as the fabrics were in the country, they were transported to the warehouses and then to production units.

This Wednesday, at one of the points of sale of the Plaza Municipality, a mother asked about the day the sale will begin, but only received a reproach from the saleswoman: “Read the bulletin out there, where everything is explained.”

____________

The 14ymedio team is committed to serious journalism that reflects the reality of deep Cuba. Thank you for joining us on this long road. We invite you to continue supporting us, but this time by becoming a member of 14ymedio. Together we can continue to transform journalism in Cuba.