Resolved cases
July 8, 2008DGZ Migrant Worker Centre Reopens
 We
are pleased to report that the Dagongzhe (DGZ) Migrant Worker Centre in
Shenzhen, China has re-opened and that its founder, Huang Qing-nan, has
partially recovered and resumed work. Thank you for taking action!
 Huang Qing-nan was
brutally attacked by two unidentified men late last
year. The attack was intended to put a stop to his efforts to
raise awareness about China’s new Labour Contract Law, which requires
better employment conditions for workers. The Centre offers
labour dispute consultation and services to workers.
  
Feb 5, 2008
Settlement Reached by A-One Factory Workers in Bangladesh
Illegally dismissed workers at
Tessival supplier accept severance after two-year struggle
 Agitating Dhaka garment workers
After a two-year fight for justice, 50 workers at the A-One factory in
Bangladesh finally received compensation from the Italian company
Tessival, currently the factory's only remaining buyer.
Feb 3, 2008
Bangladeshi authorities released Mehedi Hasan from custody
Good news! Thanks to concerted pressure from human and labour rights activists around the world, the Bangladeshi authorities released Mehedi Hasan from custody on Sunday, February 3.
Jan
29, 2008FFI
- 'CASE CLOSED'
At
the beginning of 2008, Clean Clothes Campaign
and India Committee of the Netherlands (CCC
and ICN), and Fiber & Fabrics International
along with its subsidiary Jeans Knit Private
Limited (FFI/JKPL), have resolved their differences
as to labour conditions at the Indian clothing
production facilities of FFI/JKPL.
In consultation with local organisations and
unions in Bangalore, an Ombudsperson in Bangalore
will be appointed to resolve future problems.
Should employees, local organisations, CCC
or ICN have any complaints concerning labour
conditions, they can submit these to the Ombudsperson,
who will attempt to resolve them. Employees
will be free to organise themselves in a union
of their choice. On the basis of this agreement,
CCC and ICN are confident that any violations
of labour rights will be reported in a timely
fashion and will be resolved in a correct
manner. Parties therefore no longer require
the courts to provide judgement on the difference
of opinion as to the allegations put forward
by local Indian organisations, and disputed
by FFI/JKPL, as to events lying in the past
(2005/2006). Therefore, the Indian company
withdraws all legal proceedings, and CCC and
ICN bring to an end all campaigns against
FFI/JKPL and the Dutch jeans brand G-Star.
CCC and ICN applaud the fact that G-Star,
as the most important former client of FFI/JKPL
restores their commercial relationship with
FFI/JKPL."
Sit-in strike
ends at Haowei Toys
The sit-in
strike at Disney supplier Haowei Toys has ended, but the campaign to
improve working conditions at other Disney factories continues.
 Over 300 workers
of the Haowei Toys factory in Shenzhen, China, producing plastic toys
for Disney, have been protesting day and night against the violation of
their labour rights. Labour rights violations reported by the Students
and Scholars against Corporate Misbehavior (SACOM) include excessive
overtime, under-payment or non-payment of overtime, forced signing of
blank contracts, withholding pension and social insurance payments,
exposure to dangerous toxins and unhealthy dormitory conditions.
May
30, 2007 Workers
Successfully Negotiate Settlement at BJ&B
The
CCC is pleased to report that workers at
the BJ&B garment factory in the Dominican
Republic have succeeded in obtaining a satisfactory
severance agreement.
Thanks to everyone
who wrote letters to Nike and adidas urging
them to press their supplier to negotiate
a fair settlement for the workers! The settlement
provides for three months' severance pay
above what is legally required by Dominican
law, and includes a donation of 200,000
pesos to the union and its parent federation
for organising and educational programs.
Feb 28, 2007
Agreement reached in Paxar case
The CCC is pleased to report that, after lengthy
negotiations, an agreement has been reached
between the trade union Teksif and Paxar Turkey.
On February 26th 2007 Teksif and Paxar Turkey
signed a collective contract and protocol,
in which wages are secured at inflation level,
and the union is officially recognized and
accepted as the legitimate representative
of all its members at Paxar. Also the issue
of the dismissed workers has been satisfactorily
dealt with.
The CCC would like to thank all of you who
wrote letters to Paxar and Paxar's clients
in support of the Paxar workers and their
union. The international attention to this
case has no doubt played a role in generating
pressure for the final agreement to be reached.
Nov
29, 2006
Clover group reaches settlement with Gina
Form Bra factory workers!
After
lengthy negotiations, The Clover Group agreed to
pay all outstanding bonuses and legally required
severance pay and approximately three-and-a-half
months additional salary above the legal minimum
severance pay for each worker.
Gina workers have been fighting to keep their unionized
factory open after receiving word in early September
that the Clover Group was going to close the factory
and shift orders to China or Cambodia.
Thank you to everyone who wrote a letter or participated
in action towards the buyers or Clover Group. We
hope to send a more detailed statement from the
union itself shortly.
June 22, 2006
Publicis Thailand
Drops Suit Against TLC Coordinator!
 The
CCC is pleased to report that Publicis
Thailand, the Thai subsidiary of French-based
global public relations giant Publicis
Groupe has withdrawn its libel lawsuit
against Junya Lek Yimprasert, coordinator
of the Thai Labour Campaign (TLC).
Yimprasert
had been charged with "defamation
by propagation" after the TLC website
republished a CSR Asia Weekly article
about an unfair dismissal case filed
by Publicis Thailand employees. Following
an international campaign calling upon
Publicis to unconditionally drop their
suit against Yimprasert, on June 20th
Publicis lawyers withdrew the suit from
Bangkok's Southern Criminal Court.
Read more
>>
June 21, 2006Settlement
reached in Cote Sud case
 After
nearly two years of trying to get her
job back, the illegally-dismissed workers’
representative Sabine Razafindranisa
(“Nisa”) has settled her case
with the Cote Sud factory in Madagascar.
Worn
down by the struggle to push management
to reinstate her to her position and
compelled by financial need Nisa, a
mother of four now just months away
from retirement, opted to accept payment
for the salary owed to her from the
date of her dismissal and for the remaining
months before she will retire at age
55. She has been promised retirement
compensation of 20,000 ariary per month
(approximately 7 euros).
Read more
>>
Mexican Activist Martin Barrios Released!
We are pleased to report that on
Thursday, January 12 2006 Martin Amaru
Barrios Hernandez was released from
jail without charge. Barrios, president
of the Mexican Human and Labour Rights
Commission of the Tehuacan Valley,
had been falsely accused of blackmailing
a factory owner.
Read
more >>
Unjustly Imprisoned
Human Rights Activist Needs Your Support
Demand
Immediate Release of Martin Barrios
Hernández
Falsely accused of attempting to
blackmail a maquila owner, Mexican
human rights activist Martin Barrios
Hernández is being held in
a Puebla state prison.
Your support is urgently needed to
obtain the immediate release of this
well-respected defender of the rights
of maquila workers and indigenous
communities in the Tehuacan Valley
region of the Mexican state of Puebla.
Read more >>
IOC on
thin ice over workers' rights
 The
Play Fair Alliance, which brings together
trade unions and labour rights groups worldwide
launched a campaign at the 2004 Athens Olympics
to urge the IOC and sportswear brands to
take action to weed out the exploitation
endemic to the industry.
At the occurrence of the Turin Olympics,
the Clean Clothes Campaign published an
update on the steps being taken by the brands,
the World Federation of Sporting Goods Industries
and the Olympic family since the Athens
Olympics.
During this Olympics we especially express
our dismay at the IOC's lack of commitment
to ensuring that the Olympic ideals of respect,
dignity and fair play are respected by the
global sportswear industry.
Read more
>>
Action needed for Guatemalan
activist imprisoned in US
Mary Mejia is a former maquila worker
and union activist who was detained
by US immigration at the Houston International
Airport on July 5. Mejía has
filed for political asylum in the
US and is currently being held in
an immigration prison next to the
airport.
Fax Houston immigration today to
request parole for threatened labor
organizer MARY MEJIA!
Read more >>
Guatemalan
Union Organizer Released from Detention
Sept 16, 2005 - Please see below the
news that Guatemalan union organizer
Maria Mejia has been released from
detention in the United States. Thank
you everyone who responded to the
appeal for action we sent out on Sept.
13th. If there are any new developments
on this case and any additional action
needed we will let you know. Read
more >>
Union busting at Thai factory producing
for Decathlon and Nike
March 2005,
Good news in MSP case: union activists
reinstated in Thailand
More
on this appeal >>
254 workers dismissed from Haitian
Codevi factory because of their union
activities
Dec 2005, Contract
Signed at the CODEVI Free Trade Zone
Please find here news from
Batay Ouvriye regarding positive developments
at the Codevi Free Trade Zone in Haiti,
where a collective bargaining agreement
was signed earlier this week. Read
more >>
 Feb
2005, Fired Codevi workers
sign historic agreement - Insufficient
work at factory
On February 5th, 2005, after prolonged
negotiations, the SOKOWA union and
CODEVI management representatives
signed an agreement in a labor dispute
that has been ongoing since June 2004.
Read
more >>
July 2004, What are Levi’s
and the IFC doing for the Codevi workers?
Since we last updated you in June
on the Codevi case in Haiti the situation
has not improved for the garment workers
there who produce jeans for Levi Strauss.
On June 11th Grupo M fired 254 workers
at the World Bank IFC-funded facility,
including six of seven union committee
members. Instead of reinstating the
workers, Grupo M has moved part of
its production from Codevi to the
factories they have in the Dominican
Republic. Read
more >>
June 2004, Please take action
today in support of workers at the
Codevi FTZ in Haiti. These workers,
who produce garments for Levi Strauss,
have had a serious ongoing labor dispute
with factory management and though
an agreement was reached in April,
they are presently confronted with
severe violence. At this moment, following
a one day strike yesterday, June 8,
workers are locked-out and urgently
need your support.
Read
more >>
More info:
Sept 2003, In
a report on Export Processing Zones
the ICFTU points to detailed cases of
physical violence at the largest EPZ
employer, Grupo M., in the Dominican
Republic
 Gildan
closes Honduran factory in the midst
of a labour dispute.
Gildan update
Dec 16 2004 FLA
Recognizes Action Taken by Gildan;
Still More to be Done
Canadian T-shirt company still must
address El Progreso Rights Violations
On December 10, the
Fair Labor Association (FLA) Board
of Directors announced it was reinstating
Canadian T-shirt manufacturer Gildan
Activewear as an FLA Participating
Company. Gildan’s membership
had been challenged due to failure
to comply with good labor standards
at its El Progreso facility in Honduras.
Gildan was threatened with termination
of its FLA membership unless it took
specific action, set out in an Oct.
26 resolution from the FLA. According
to the FLA’s statement, Gildan
has taken “substantial steps
… to meet the conditions specified
by the FLA Board in its Resolution
of October 26, 2004.”
Gildan still has a
lot of work to do to address the rights
violations at El Progreso and to ensure
that workers at all Gildan supply
facilities are able to exercise their
rights. The CCC will continue to monitor
developments in this case and will
post a request for action should additional
pressure on Gildan be needed.
The Maquila Solidarity
Network (MSN), b ased in Canada, has
been working closely on this case
during recent months and released
the following statement regarding
last week’s FLA decision.
Read more >>>
What happened
before:
-
July 26 2004,
Tell Gildan Activewear: Don't
Cut and Run
In a surprise move, Canadian
T-shirt manufacturer Gildan Activewear
announced the closure of its El
Progeso sewing factory in Honduras,
which has been under investigation
for a series of worker rights
violations. Please write to Gildan
today demanding that the company
reverse its decision to close
the factory and that it comply
with all recommendations to address
the violations.
Read
more >>
-
July 30 2004,
Gildan given 90 days to comply
with the FLA's standards.
Tell Gildan to reverse their decision
to close the El Progreso factory,
and to fully comply with all the
recommendations of the FLA and
WRC for corrective action.Read
more >>
October 2004,
Gildan El Progreso shuts down,
urgent action needed
October 2004 - We are
disappointed to report that Canada-based
Gildan Activewear has closed its
El Progreso factory in Honduras,
in the midst of a dispute regarding
questionable labor practices at
the factory. They plan to relocate
production elsewhere. It is crucial
that Gildan is sent a clear message
that this is unacceptable –
workers who speak out in defense
of their rights should not be
punished.
Please pressure Gildan to properly
compensate their El Progreso workers
(including those unjustly fired
for supporting the union) and
meet other key demands articulated
by the workers.
Read
more >>
- 16 Nov 2004,
Put more pressure Gildan!
,
Please find here an update from
the Maquila Solidarity Network on
the case of the El Progreso factory
in Honduras, which produced garments
for Gildan Activewear, a Canadian
company that also sells T-shirts
in Europe. Gildan closed this factory
in Honduras, in the midst of a dispute
regarding questionable labor practices.
The CCC encourages you to follow
up on the action request in this
appeal.
Read
more >>
Workers
Reinstated at PT Sarasa Balaraja Aug
2005 - Following a long remediation process
spearheaded by the CCC, the Campaign for
Labor Rights (CLR), and the Worker Rights
Consortium (WRC), hundreds of workers have
been reinstated at an Indonesian garment
factory that was the site of a long-running
dispute and the subject of several CCC calls
for action.
Read more
>>
More
action needed to support union at Workwear
Lanka
 June
2004, Request for action in
a case of union repression at a Sri
Lankan factory producing gloves for
North American and European brands.
Union members have been facing ongoing
harassment, demotion and dismissal
in response to their organizing efforts.
This letter contains
information concerning the most recent
developments in the case as well as
a call for action. Please read the
enclosed information carefully, take
the actions recommended by sending
letters to the authorities & companies
involved in this situation, and forward
this information to as many of your
friends and colleagues as possible.
Sample letters are included below.
Read more >>
Push
BGMEA for action in death of Bangladesh
workers
June 2004, Please take action
to support union demands in the wake
of another garment factory tragedy
occurred in Bangladesh. On May 3rd
nine women were trampled to death
and 50 others injured when they ran
for their lives after a false fire
alarm, at a building housing several
garment factories in Bangladesh.
Read more >>
- Dec 2004,
Update Misco Supermarket fire Bangladesh
Though the action taken by the BGMEA
falls short of the union's demands,
the BTGWL informed us on 13 December
2004 that no further action would
be taen in the Misco Supermarket
case. At this time we would like
to thank all those who sent letters
and responded to the appeal.
Read more >>
Take
action to support Indian textile workers
 March
2004 - Please find here a request
from the Clean Clothes Campaign Task
Force - Tamil Nadu to participate
in their campaign to push for improvements
in the textile mills in Vedasanthur,
India. Throughout the sector they
report that there are violations of
workers rights, including low wages
and long working hours, intimidation
and unjust dismissals, and the use
of child labor.
Read more
>>
 Urgent
Action: End the Lockout of Workers at
PT Kahatex!
Send your protest e-mail now!
Please take action in the following
case involving more than 500 workers
producing for a number of European
and U.S. brands, who have been locked
out of their workplace for demanding
that they be paid the minimum wage.
Feb
2004, Good
news!! PT Kahatex Sweater workers re-employed
We are extremely happy to report
a significant breakthrough in the
case of PT Kahatex Sweater located
in Bandung, Indonesia. The company
has agreed to re-employ all of the
locked-out workers who wish to return!
Two hundred and ten of these workers
have already indicated that they wish
to be re-employed and the company
has agreed that this group will start
work by March 1.
Protest murder of Cambodian union leader
On January 22 2004 Chea Vichea,
the president of the Free Trade
Union of Workers of the Kingdom
of Cambodia (FTUWKC), which organizes
garment workers, was shot dead in
Phnom Penh. The Clean Clothes Campaign
(CCC) condemns this killing and
deplores this use of violence to
attempt to silence the movement
for workers' rights in Cambodia.
We call upon our network members
to demand immediate action from
the Cambodian government to investigate
this murder and bring Vichea's killers
and those behind the killing to
justice. For more details of these
tragic events and a sample letter
you can send to the Camdodian government
today
Read
more >>
For additional
information on this case, see also
the Amnesty International case file:
http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA230082004
 URGENT
ACTION ALERT:
Mexican Labour Rights Activist Attacked
and Brutally Beaten
Jan 2004 - Please
find here an urgent call for action,
concerning the assault on a Mexican
labour rights activist and coordinator
of the Human and Labour Rights Commission
of the Tehuacan Valley. They have
recently defended the rights of
hundreds of workers who were unjustly
fired from the Tarrant factory –
the case for which we have in the
last months sent around various
appeals. It is much appreciated
if you send your letters of concern
today. Many thanks in advance.
Read More >>
March
2004 update on Barrios case
Update on the case of Martin Barrios,
the Mexican human rights activist
who was brutally attacked on December
30th, 2003. Your letters of protest
have had an impact, however more
pressure is needed to push the Mexican
government to thoroughly investigate
this incident and bring those responsible
to justice.
 The
Saipan workers' lawsuit
In January 1999 three separate lawsuits
were filed challenging the unlawful
sweatshop conditions in the Saipan,
CNMI garment industry. A total of
26 U.S. based retailers and manufacturers
on the island were sued for violating
workers' rights and using "indentured
slavery".
The lawsuit ended with a victory for
the garment workers in January 2004
. Please find here an overview of
what happened. more
>>
 Fire
kills at least 42 workers in shoe factory
in India
Shree Jee International, a footwear
manufacturing unit based in Agra,
India and exporting to among others
the UK and Ireland caught fire between
10-00 am and 10-15 am in the morning
of May 24, 2002; resulting in a devastating
accident. According to official figures,
42 workers died in the accident and
11 were injured.
Fight
for Union recognition
at Jaqalanka Free Trade Zone
Please find here a
closed appeal for action from
the Free Trade Zone Workers Union
(FTZWU) in Sri Lanka regarding an
anti-union campaign at a factory producing
for Nike and VF (for their Red Kap
workwear brand). more
>>
Updates
:
Oct
2003, Union
recognition at Jaqalanka!!
July 2003, Timeline
of events in Jaqalanka Ltd dispute
 Tarrant
México Ajalpan
More action needed:
Please take action again in an
ongoing conflict regarding violations
of the right to organize at the
U.S.-owned Tarrant México
– Ajalpan factory, which produces
for such brands as Levi’s,
Tommy Hilfiger, The Limited and
Ralph Lauren. After workers at the
factory took action to demand improved
working conditions, management fired
hundreds of workers, including most
of the leaders of the newly formed
union. Now, this union is unjustly
denied a legal status by the Mexican
board. More
>>
Oct 2003 update
: Legal
recognition independent union denied,
workers still without jobs
Take Action Now!
 Appeal
for action from Gina Relation Labour
Union: Thailand
Appeal for action on behalf of
the Gina Relation Labour Union regarding
ongoing union repression at the
Gina Form Bra Company, a Thai factory
that produces for brands such as
Gap, Victoria's Secret, Banana Republic,
and KMart. more
>>>
July 2003, Victory
at Gina Form!
We are very pleased to report that
garment workers at the Gina Form Bra
Co., a Thai factory that produces
for such brands as Victoria’s
Secret, Gap, and Kmart, have reached
an agreement with management in a
dispute that had gone on for more
than six months.
- June 2003, Citing
cut in orders, Gina Form puts workforce
on leave with half-pay
Action is still needed to support
the struggle of the Gina Relation
Worker Union (GRWU) to have unfairly
dismissed workers reinstated and
ensure that workers rights are respected
at a Thai garment factory producing
for a number of major North American
brands.
- March 2003, Clean
Clothes Campaign letter to WRAP
concerning a.o. the Gina Form case
in Thailand, send on behalf
also of the ILRF, UNITE, Global
Exchange and CLR.
- March 2003, Union
leader Somboon reinstated!!
Action still needed on Gina Form
Bra factory
- March 2003, Letter
sent by the American Solidarity
Centre, Bangkok, which explains
the current situation in relation
to the Collective Bargaining Agreement
 Unrest
and labour conflicts in Indonesia
 Support
striking Puma workers in Mexico
22 Jan 2003 -Workers at Matamoros
Garment, located in the Mexican
state of Puebla, are currently on
strike after working for three weeks
without pay. They have decided to
form their own independent union.
Updates
|
198kb) 
France/USA:
Brylane and Pinault-Printemps-La redoute
Campaign
to support the Free Trade Zone Workers
Union of Sri Lanka
El
Salvador: Tainan Enterprises
Support
union at Ladybird garment factory, Thailand
Canada/Lesotho:
Don't cut and run; Help eliminate sweatshop
abuses
Union
supporters placed under siege in Cimatextiles
and Choishin factories Guatemala
Bangladesh
