Cuban cigar rollers

[TheVitaleMob]

Now, I know that Cuba is a communist country, but do the cigar rollers profit at all from their positions in the workforce? Are these people living in better places than the rest of the general public, or are they just as poor as the rest of the people? I'm just curious about this....

 

[N2Advnture]

It is my understanding that the "common" rollers are no better off than anyone else (except for what they can sneak out to sell on their own, which they are immediately fired for)

The "master torcedors" do substantially better, especially when they do rolling events outside of Cuban (but not "rich" by any means)

~M

 

[Matt R]

The basic answer is no. It's just a job and there is a set rate of pay for everyone who works in Cuba. I think the average salary in Cuba is around 200 pesos. If the top torcedors are working for private clients without approval of the government, they can make more and most do. If they are on sanctioned rolling trips, they make the same as if they were in the factory, on paper.

 

[bshep714]

:0 But I thought Cuba was a worker's paradise!

 

[Wurm]

Speaking of cuban cigar rollers, there is going to be one at the Casa del Puro on Friday when I make my 2nd trip there...

If I decide to have one rolled (all depending on price) should I smoke the cigar right away or let it age. I'm thinking smoke it fresh, the tobacco should be from a recent harvest I am thinking.

 

[MiamiCubano]

No one in Cuba "profits," except for that terrorist and son-of-a-bitch Fidel (and his family). Everyone else is at his mercy, and only gets what he allows them to get...which is not a hell of a lot at all. Even farmers in the country (i.e., Las Villas, Santa Clara - where most of my family are from), have to ask permission to farm certain products and then ask permission if they want sell them (with most of the percentage of sales going to "the gov't")...freedom to choose what to farm, sell and even how to live is non-existent for all intent and purposes. Master rollers are, for the large part, no different, no matter where they go in the world, or what they do...as long as they return to Cuba.