Anarchoblogs

The following, from the Clean Clothes Campaign, is somewhat ironic, coming as close as it does to International Womens' Day on March 8. One of the events that led to the establishment of IWD was the March 25, 1911 'Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire' in which 140 workers were killed. In that case exits were also locked. La Plus Ça Change I guess.

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21 Workers Die at Bangladeshi Factory Fire
Bangladesh unions and international labour rights organisations are calling for immediate action from brands and the government of Bangladesh following a fatal factory fire which killed at least 21 workers and injured a further 50.

The Garib & Garib Sweater Factory in Gazipur, Bangladesh has been producing knitwear for Swedish retailer H&M, reportedly a main buyer from the factory. The company's own website cites Otto, 3Suisses International, Pimkie, Provera, Lindex, Littlewoods, Wal-Mart and JC Penny as other current and previous buyers. The CCC is currently trying to verify this and other sourcing information provided by workers.The fire, seemingly caused by an electrical short circuit, started on the first floor of the seven story building at 9.30pm on Thursday February 25. As the fire spread, workers became trapped on the floors above. It appears, from witness statements and press reports, that emergency exits were blocked, the front gate was locked and fire extinguishing equipment was either missing or inappropriate. According to one survivor, rescue efforts were further hampered by the fact that firemen had to cut the window grills to access the building and rescue the trapped workers. No-one on the scene could tell fire fighters how many workers were in the factory at the time the fire began.

The National Garment Workers Federation and other organisations supporting the workers and their families call for:

1)the immediate arrest of the factory owner,
2)immediate payment of 500.000 Taka for the families of the dead workers;
3)provision of medical treatment and necessary compensation for the injured workers;
4)effective and immediate measures for compensation of the victims on the longer term, and
a credible investigation into the circumstances under which this tragedy could have happened.

The Bangladesh garment industry has a horrendous safety history. Since the start of this millennium, the Clean Clothes Campaign has highlighted 9 other similar cases with a total of 273 deaths (see for more info: http://www.cleanclothes.org/news/international-action-day-bangladesh).

We are angry and saddened that once again workers have paid the price for the failure of international brands, the Bangladesh government and the Bangladesh industry to take adequate steps to prevent such incidents from happening. A culture of impunity still exists that allows such incidents to be written of as simply tragic accidents, allowing everyone involved to deny responsibility for the consequences. A recent inquiry into one of these cases, KTS Sweater, found that the owners were cleared of criminal convictions, despite admitting to locking workers into the factory, after the police involved changed the charge sheet. (see http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=128183)

The Garib & Garib Sweater Factory case once again proves that company audits are failing to pick up serious violations of international labour rights and corporate codes of conduct, and that the labour inspectorate and government monitoring of labour laws is woefully inadequate. At the same time the constant repression of trade union organisation within workplaces and the failure of brands to work with trade union representatives means that workers themselves are unable to report and challenge health and safety violations. If the industry is really serious about preventing future deaths they must start involving workers directly in monitoring health and safety standards. This can only be done through supporting the right to organise and working directly with trade unions.

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR:

THE OLYMPICS AND SWEATSHOPS:

A broad coalition of labour and human rights groups, including Play Fair, the Maquila Solidarity Network and the Clean Clothes Campaign have been organizing around each Olympics in past years to try and raise public awareness about the atrocious conditions for many workers involved in producing Olympic clothing and other items. The upcoming Vancouver/Whistler Winter Olympics are no exception. Here's an item from the Maquila Solidarity Network about a series of videos detailing the issue, and a campaign to pressure manufacturers to "play fair".

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
New Play Fair at the Olympics video launched:‏
Here's how you can help push sportswear brands to clear the hurdles on worker rights: watch our new video and take action at http://secure.civicrm.ca/maquilasolidarity.org/sites/maquilasolidarity.civicrm.ca/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=359&qid=25805

As the February Vancouver Winter Olympic Games draw nearer, we've just released a second short video highlighting the failure of major sportswear brands -- including Olympic sponsors -- to eliminate sweatshop abuses in their global supply chains.

The campaign's second video links to a new website rating commitments by Nike, Adidas, Puma, New Balance and others on clearing the main hurdles that obstruct progress on worker rights in their supply factories: an anti-union environment, poverty wages, precarious work, and factory closures.
» See http://secure.civicrm.ca/maquilasolidarity.org/sites/maquilasolidarity.civicrm.ca/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=359&qid=25805.
» en español: http://secure.civicrm.ca/maquilasolidarity.org/sites/maquilasolidarity.civicrm.ca/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=360&qid=25805
» en Français: http://secure.civicrm.ca/maquilasolidarity.org/sites/maquilasolidarity.civicrm.ca/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=361&qid=25805
You can help the campaign by:
» sending an email to the brands
» hosting the video ads on your own website or facebook page.
» sending a short message about the campaign to your friends and networks
»Take Action Now

Unfortunately, Olympic skiers aren’t the only ones in a race to the bottom…‏:
Dear all,

In the run-up to the February Vancouver Winter Olympic Games, several groups involved in the Play Fair Alliance last week released its rating of commitments made by major sportswear brands to eliminate sweatshop abuses in their global supply chains. The ratings are based on the responses of the sportswear companies, including Nike, Adidas, Puma and others, to a series of demands put forward by the coalition on the eve of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Please take a moment now and join us in sending a message to key sportswear brands telling them “It’s time to up your game and start clearing the hurdles for workers’ rights”.Go to: http://www.clearingthehurdles.org/content/take-action

The demands were conceived to overcome four major hurdles to ending labour rights violations in sportswear supply chains: anti-union environment, poverty wages, precarious work, and factory closures.The ratings are being released on the newly launched Clearing the Hurdles website. The new website will allow users to see how each brand has responded to 12 key demands that brands should commit to in order to overcome the four hurdles. Users will also be able to compare the various brands at a glance based on their commitments to overcome these hurdles: http://www.clearingthehurdles.org/response-chart

The coalition, which includes Canada’s Maquila Solidarity Network, the International Trade Union Confederation, the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers Federation and the Clean Clothes Campaign is also posting a series of web ads accusing the brands that profit off the Olympics of engaging in a “race to the bottom” on wages and working conditions.

The ad campaign is running on dozens of websites in British Columbia, Canada and globally. The first ad, which features a montage of skiers and sweatshop workers, says: “Unfortunately, the Winter Olympics aren’t the only place we’re seeing a race to the bottom. Sportswear companies are also in a race to the bottom … on wages and working conditions.” New ads with a variety of similar messages will be launched every ten days in the run-up to the Olympics.

You can also help the campaign by distributing this appeal and by hosting the video ads on your own website or facebook page! Go to:http://www.clearingthehurdles.org/content/upload-or-embed-our-race-to-the-bottom-video

As a result of Play Fair 2008 Indonesian unions recently had a direct dialogue with sportswear brands and suppliers, we will send you an update on the outcomes shortly.

Hello;
I’ve reviewed the way your company responded to Play Fair 2008’s proposals on ways to clear the four major hurdles impeding progress on worker rights in your factories.

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'Triumph' dismissals in Asia attempt to get rid of unions.:
Triumph workers in Bangkok demonstrated earlier this month against the planned close down of their factory by throwing bras in the air in front of the District labour office.Lingerie producer blames global recession for factory closures.

The German/Swiss lingerie multinational Triumph seems to use the pretext of the global economic recession to close down factories in the Philippines and Thailand. A number of these closures are irregular.

On June 29, Triumph's producer in Thailand, Body Fashion Thailand, announced that around half of its 4200 workers would be out of their jobs by the end of August. Earlier this year, another Thai Triumph producer, Worldwell Garment Company, was closed down on Labour Day (May 1), and the entire work force sent home without their last salaries or the legally-required severance compensations.

In the Philippines, 1660 garment workers will loose their jobs by the end of August when Triumph International (Philippines) Ltd. and Star Performance Inc. will close down. Neither in Thailand nor in the Philippines did the Triumph management conduct timely and transparent negotiations with the factory workers' unions as required by international labour standards.

Support these Thai and Filipino workers in their struggle. Send letters to Triumph's headquarters in Switzerland today and forward this message to your friends. Your actions will make a difference!
Take action now!

BACKGROUND
Triumph cites the global recession as a major reason for downscaling their production. It is clear, however, that Triumph's actions are aimed at hampering the unions in their factories. They are closing those departments and those factories where the unions are strongest. At the same time, they are expanding a new factory in northern Thailand.

Workers unions in Thailand and the Philippines have been organizing picket lines and other forms of peaceful protest against these dishonest practises. We demand from Triumph International that they pursue any major restructuring of their factory operations in cooperation with the established factory unions, rescind the dismissals, disclose the full information that led to the planned retrenchments and closures, generally operate in line with ILO core conventions as well as the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.

Triumph has a history of ignoring labour-rights violations in the Asian factories where they outsource the production of their luxury lifestyle products. Last year, the Swiss multinational was accused of harassing union leaders in the same factories: see www.cleanclothes.org/triumph-union-continues-fight-for-fairness

In 2002, Triumph was also one of the last international firms to withdraw production from Burma (Myanmar). The Burmese military government has been accused of gross political repression and massive human rights violations.

Luxury fashion brands leave Indonesian workers in the cold:
Polo Ralph Lauren, the upmarket US-based fashion giant, continues to ignore union repression and bad working conditions at one of its suppliers in Indonesia, the Mulia Knitting Factory near to Jakarta. The fashion house simply refuses to respond to the plight of workers who produce its garments.

Tommy Hilfiger, another buyer at the same clothing factory, has claimed that they have discussed the problems with the supplier, but the company has yet to take decisive action.

Following the establishment of the factory union SBGTS-GSBI in May 2007, the management of the Mulia Knitting Factory (MKF) organised a campaign to destroy the union by forcing all of its founding members to resign from the union or be removed from the factory. Unsafe and bad working conditions in the factory make the issue of workers' representation all the more urgent.

Although the national umbrella organisation GSBI has now managed to open up a direct dialogue with the MKF management, the latter remains unwilling to discuss matters related to freedom of association.

Support these Indonesian workers in their struggle. Send letters to Polo Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger today and forward this message to your friends. Your actions will make a difference! Take action now!

The CCC and its allies in Indonesia and in the US have undertaken intensive efforts to set up constructive dialogues with MKF's foreign buyers to support a solution to the problems at the clothing factory. Indonesian law, international labour standards and the fashion brands’ own codes of conduct protect the workers’ rights to form and join a union. But Polo Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger have done nothing to demonstrate that there is substance behind the claims in their codes.

Despite seven letters from the CCC and our allies and repeated phone calls, Polo Ralph Lauren's corporate social responsibility manager has refused to discuss the problems at MKF. Unfortunately, this is common practise for the designer of lavish lifestyle(this is a total aside- but I've always hated this word from the first time I heard it-Molly) products.

Although Polo Ralph Lauren actively promotes charities and philanthropic programmes, it refuses to mainstream ethical trade principles in its day-to-day operations. The company has been the defendant in a number of court cases involving discrimination and violations of labour rights.

After dragging its feet, Tommy Hilfiger now says it is committed to solving the problems in its supply chain. However, after more then six months, its efforts have not yielded any concrete results. This raises serious questions about Tommy Hilfiger's commitment to uphold the values laid down in their corporate Code of Conduct.

Support these Indonesian workers in their struggle. Send letters to Polo Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger today and forward this message to your friends. Your actions will make a difference!
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THE LETTERS:

WWWWWWWWWW
IKEA and Household Retailers Abet Union Busting at Turkish Supplier:

While a serious case of union-busting at a Turkish supplier factory is happening right under their noses, retail giants IKEA, Wal-Mart and Carrefour choose to stand by idly. Other household retail chains such as Otto, Ibena, Target and Kohl's as well as the German textile traders Horizonte have been equally silent about the basic labour right violation against hundreds of workers at their supplier. In addition, working conditions in the factory are unacceptably dangerous.

Support the Turkish union in their struggle to improve labour conditions and safety at this factory. Write letters to IKEA, Wal-Mart Carrefour, Otto, Ibena, and Kohl’s and demand fair working conditions in their supply chain.

Take action now! >>
Background
Menderes Tekstil in South-Western Turkey produces bed linen for the home market and for export. Over the last years, four Menderes workers died due to work-related injuries. In the most recent accident, on November 20, 2008, one employee died when he fell into the funnel of a coal boiler. Workers reported that the boiler had no safety measures to prevent such an accident. After the tragic accident, the factory management reportedly ordered three colleagues of the victim to climb into the funnel to retrieve the body. Again, no safety measures were taken, and the three had no protection against toxic gases inside the boiler. They suffered respiratory poisoning and had to seek treatment in a nearby hospital.

In March 2008, the national textile workers union TEKSIF started organising workers at the factory. Since then, the Menderes management called the union leaders into their offices one by one, and gave them the choice between renouncing the union or being sacked. Turkish law prohibits dismissals or transfers as retribution for union organising.

Still, Menderes Tekstil continues their anti-union campaign. The management has repeatedly threatened workers whom they suspect of being union members, forcing them to leave of the union or to sign documents indicating voluntary resignation. In some cases, workers were assigned to new jobs for which they were not trained or qualified. If these workers refused to renounce their union membership or refused to accept the transfer or dismissal, the management on occasions has gone as far as to harass the affected workers' relatives if they also work at the factory.

In August 2008 workers and union representatives started protests outside the Menderes factory. The protests lasted for 190 days and were aimed at gaining acceptance of their union. Despite these actions, the company has continued to harass the unionists and has refused any dialogue with the union.

Meanwhile, eight court cases of wrongfully dismissed employees are currently before the magistrate. However, the judicial process could take years before producing any verdict.

Over the last years, four Menderes workers died due to work-related injuries.Brand responses
Menderes' main international clients have known about the problems at the factory for months but the only actions they have taken is to deny the problems, conduct investigations while refusing to release the results, or promise to take action on the matter, only to drag their feet. In doing so, they are also not living up to their own ethical codes of conduct.

The CCC and its trade union partners approached Menderes' primary buyer IKEA multiple times over the last months, but the furniture giant has not taken sufficient measures to solve the problems. IKEA commissioned an audit into the labour conditions at Menderes Tekstil, and concluded that there are no major labour problems at the factory. Although the CCC was never given a chance to view the audit report, the campaign has in the past raised serious concerns about the use of industry-commissioned audit reports that often lead to biased conclusions. The situation at Menderes Tekstil is in total contravention to IKEA's own code of conduct.

Carrefour in France and Belgium and Otto, Ibena and Horizonte from Germany initially responded to appeals by the CCC and its union partners to take action on the case. The US-based companies Wal-Mart, Target and Kohl's were similarly approached by our allies of the International Labor Rights Forum ). All have dithered on their course of action for months now, promising measures that seem more aimed at buying time than at effectively dealing with the problems at their Turkish supplier.

The UK-based Mothercare household retailers have taken constructive steps in addressing the problems, but they are not acting with the level of urgency required.

The CCC urges these companies to use their influence and insist that their Turkish supplier enters into a direct dialogue with trade union TEKSIF.
Urgent Action needed
The CCC and TEKSIF demand that Menderes and its buyers ensure:
**reinstatement with compensation and pay-back of salary arrears where appropriate for those workers who are currently engaged in court proceedings against Menderes Tekstil following their dismissal due to union activity;
**acknowledgement of TEKSIF as a legitimate union at your factory and to recognise their right to represent their members in factory matters, and to provide all workers with a guarantee that the company will respect their rights to organise and to bargain collectively.
**involvement of TEKSIF in the discussions around the company’s restructuring plans and the criteria for necessary dismissals.
**review of occupational health and safety measures at both factory plants, as well as a review of certain disciplinary and grievance handling mechanisms;

Please take action now! Support our action and send letters to IKA, Wal-Mart, Carrefour, Kohl's, Ibena and Otto. See sample letters below....
Dear Madam, Sir,

re.: Menderes Tekstil, Turkey; supply chain; ethical code of conduct.

I am writing to you to express my deep concerns about the working conditions labour-rights situation at one of your suppliers in Turkey, Menderes Tekstil. I understand from the Clean Clothes Campaign that the factory’s workers are being denied the right to associate themselves into a workers’ union, and that the factory management dismisses, transfers and harasses employees who support the workers’ union.

I also read reports that the working conditions at the factory are unacceptably dangerous and harmful, leading to the death of four of Menderes' workers. All this in violation of Turkish law, international labour standards as per the ILO, and your own suppliers code of conduct.

I have been informed by the CCC that their efforts to address these urgent matters with you met with a refusal from your side to take swift and effective action to remedy the situation.

As a consumer and one of your potential clients, I am concerned about the working conditions surrounding the production of the goods you sell. I urge you to take up your supply-chain responsibilities seriously, and to demand from Menderes Tekstil:
**reinstatement with compensation and pay-back of salary arrears where appropriate for those workers who are currently engaged in court proceedings against Menderes Tekstil following their dismissal due to unionisation;
**acknowledgement of TEKSIF as a legitimate union at your factory and to recognize their right to represent their members in factory matters, and to provide all workers with a guarantee that the company will respect their rights to organise and to bargain collectively.
**involvement of TEKSIF in the discussions around the company’s restructuring plans and the criteria for necessary dismissals.
**review of occupational health and safety measures at both factory plants, as well as a review of certain disciplinary and grievance handling mechanisms;
Yours sincerely,
SAMPLE LETTER FOR IKEA

Dear Sir,

re.: Menderes Tekstil, Turkey; supply chain; ethical code of conduct.

I am writing to you to express my deep concerns about the working conditions labour-rights situation at one of your suppliers in Turkey, Menderes Tekstil.

I understand from the Clean Clothes Campaign that the factory’s workers are being denied the right to associate themselves into a workers’ union, and that the factory management dismisses, transfers and harasses employees who support the workers’ union.I also read reports that the working conditions at the factory are unacceptably dangerous and harmful, leading to the death of four of Menderes' workers.

All this in violation of Turkish law, international labour standards as per the ILO, and your own suppliers code of conduct.

I have been informed by the CCC that their efforts to address these urgent matters with you met with a refusal from your side to take swift and effective action to remedy the situation.

I also learned that IKEA commissioned an audit into the labour conditions at Menderes Tekstil, and concluded that there are no major labour problems at the factory. Although the CCC was never given a chance to view the audit report, the campaign has in the past raised serious concerns about the use of industry-commissioned audit reports that often lead to biased conclusions.

As a consumer and one of your potential clients, I am concerned about the working conditions surrounding the production of the goods you sell. I urge you to take up your supply-chain responsibilities seriously, and to demand from Menderes Tekstil:
**reinstatement with compensations and pay-back of salary arrears where appropriate for those workers who are currently engaged in court proceedings against Menderes Tekstil following their dismissal due to unionisation;
**acknowledgement of TEKSIF as a legitimate union at your factory and to recognize their right to represent their members in factory matters, and to provide all workers with a guarantee that the company will respect their rights to organise and to bargain collectively.
**involvement of TEKSIF in the discussions around the company’s restructuring plans and the criteria for necessary dismissals.
**review of occupational health and safety measures at both factory plants, as well as a review of certain disciplinary and grievance handling mechanisms;

In addition to these demands towards the management of the Menderes factory, I urge IKEA to take up the moral commitment it makes in its IWAY code of conduct and not to diminish or lessen orders at Menderes just because of the labour-related problems there. Reduced production or even a closing down of the Menderes factory is not in anybody's interest, and a ”cut-and-run” scenario would not reflect favourably on IKEA's social responsibility profile.

Yours sincerely,

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Philippines: more legal harassment of labour activists‏
Authorities in the Philippines are abusing their legal system as a means to repress workers' rights. A new court case against 33 labour-rights activists and factory workers is politically motivated and aimed at suppressing labour rights in the country.

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Support our partners in the Philippines and write a letter today to the Philippine embassy in your country, or send a letter through our website at:

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The workers, most of whom are women, are officials and members of three labour unions active in garment industries in the province of Cavite, just South of the capital Manila. They organised a strike in their factories in September 2006 to protest against the factories' refusal to negotiate for a collective bargaining agreement with the unions. Two days after their initiation, the peaceful strikes were violently dispersed by local police forces and agents of a private security company, who attacked the strikers with clubs and other crude weapons, injuring dozens of the workers.

Despite continued violence, the strikers persisted for another ten months before a group of uniformed and masked men with fire-arms entered the heavily-guarded factory compounds and threatened some of the strikers at gunpoint with death.

Following the violence, both unions issued criminal charges against the police and the security guards. Around the same time, the police also filed criminal charges against the 33 activists, accusing them of violence on the same occasion. Although the case against the police is still being investigated by the prosecutor of Cavite province, the same authority last week issued arrest warrants against the unionized workers.

The arrest warrants come at a time that the Filipino justice system seems to be increasingly used by authorities as an instrument to suppress dissent. The international community is currently putting pressure on the government to act against the large amount of extra-judicial killings of political dissidents. The authorities,especially elements from the military and the police force, are widely seen as being behind these killings.

It seems that the authorities have now changed tactics, and are starting to use the judicial system to stifle dissent, like they also did in the similar case of labour-rights activist and lawyer Remigio Saladero Jr.,who currently faces arrest over a murder charge that is widely seen as trumped up by the authorities

See: Philippine Labour Rights Lawyer Faces New Round of False Charges at:

http://www.cleanclothes.org/philippine-labour-rights-lawyer-faces-new-round-of-false-charges

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Support our partners in the Philippines and write a letter today to the Philippine embassy in your country, or send a letter through our website at:

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A worker from a Turkish factory that supplies Prada and other luxury brands is touring Europe this week to share her story of union repression and exploitation. Emine Arslan was a valued worker in DESA’s Sefakoy factory for eight years until she started talking to other workers about joining a union.

Fed up with long hours, low wages and appalling conditions, she and hundreds of workers at Turkish leather manufacturer DESA decided to join the Turkish leather workers union, Deri Is, last year. After receiving three warnings on the same day, Ms. Arslan was fired. But she persisted by filing a court case against the company, demonstrating outside the factory, refusing to accept bribes offered by the management, and enduring the attempted kidnapping of her daughter. Is this the price of luxury?

Join us by sending a worldwide message to Prada, one of the primary buyers at the DESA factory, that union organising is a right not a luxury. Take action now!

The Clean Clothes Campaign has called on the factories’ buyers to put a stop to repression and discrimination in their supply chains. Many of the buyers, including Prada, have failed to take responsibility for the workers who produce their goods.

Ms. Arslan, who is joined on the tour by Deri Is union organiser Nuran Gulenc, will speak with government officials, trade unions and NGOs in Italy, France and Spain.

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THE LETTER: