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December 03, 2007

'GAG STAR' action during anti-sweatshop meeting Bangkok

gagstar.jpg

Last week, the biggest ever anti-sweatshop meeting took place in Bangkok, Thailand. More then hundred researchers, lawyers and activists from leading labour rights organisations in North and Central America, Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe gathered together and expressed their solidarity with the Clean Clothes Campaign and its Indian partner organisations.

During the meeting G-Star - FFI's biggest buyer - was dubbed GAG Star, using the participants as letters (see photo). This action aimed at making G-Star finally speak out in this case, and use its influence over FFI to make it lift the gagging orders, stop the unjust court cases and improve the working conditions at the factory.

Full demands to G-Star:

- Make placement of all future orders at FFI/JKPL, including those
in the pipeline, conditional on the withdrawal of all legal cases
against local and international organizations and individuals related
to this case; and on the start of a dialogue to normalize industrial
relations and address outstanding labour issues.

- To prevent potential negative consequences for workers, G-Star
should develop a coherent exit strategy which includes placing the
orders concerned in units geographically close to FFI/JKPL and ensuring
they provide employment opportunities to the FFI/JKPL workers. Such an
exit strategy also includes publicly communicating that the decision to
suspend future orders results directly from the actions of FFI/JKPL.

- Immediately and transparently convey the above to FFI/JKPL underlining
that they should immediately engage in a broad sustained dialogue
including GATWU, Cividep, Munnade and NTUI, in order to normalize
industrial relations, and address possible outstanding labour issues as
well as issues that might come up in the future.

- Transparently convey to FFI/JKPL that there can only be compliance
with G-Star's code of conduct when freedom of association is truly
implemented. Implementation of freedom of association includes that all
unions are able to organize at FFI/JKPL regardless whether the company
prefers certain unions over others, and that FFI/JKPL refrain from any
action that might inhibit duly union activities. For freedom of
association to be truly implemented at FFI/JKPL this means in practice
that FFI/JKPL should withdraw the complaint against GATWU, NTUI,
Cividep, Munnade and CCC Task Force Tamil Nadu.

- Make a public statement that suing unions or labour rights
organizations for circulating information on labour rights’ violations,
thereby restraining their right to Freedom of Speech, is incompatible
with their expectations of their suppliers’ implementation of Freedom of
Association.

- Do not conduct social audits at FFI/JKPL as long as FFI/JKPL through
legal action is preventing GATWU, Cividep, Munnade and NTUI from being
consulted.

via Clean Clothes Campaign

Posted by cat at 08:15 PM