 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Support Independent Union Organizing in Thailand!Posted June 27, 2003 TAKE ACTION!Tell The Gap and The Limited to Support Worker Rights at Gina Form Bra! BACKGROUNDGina Form Bra Company Ltd. is a subcontractor factory owned by a family from Hong Kong. It was set up in Thailand in 1985 and is located in Bangkok. The company employs 1,400 workers; 1,100 are women. It produces underwear for big brand names such as Gap, Victoria's Secret, The Limited, Banana Republic, K-Mart and Jacob. The company is certified under WRAP (Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production). In 2001 the management of the company was taken over by a Thai group. This new management immediately began sustained harassment of the union executive and members with the aim of destroying the union, which was formed in 1994. The previous management had also tried to prevent the formation of a union, dismissing a core group of workers who submitted demands before the union's registration (in 1994). In 2001 there were 1,100 union members in the Gina Relation Worker Union (GRWU). Now, as a result of the harassment campaign by management there are 700 union members. Management has used the collective bargaining process as a strategy to attack the union and workers: by deliberately issuing regulations that affected and contradicted the collective agreement between management and the workers and by arresting and dismissing five members of the union committee, including the union president. The company has filed a case with the Labor Court to get permission to do this. They also fired 37 union members. This case is currently being heard in the Supreme Civil Court. Now, the factory management has caused confusion by creating, through the work of supervisors in collaboration with Panus Tialuan of the National Congress of Thai Labor, who is a notoriously corrupt 'union' leader, a new union, the Gina Ruamjai Union (GRU). This is an obvious effort to defeat the collective bargaining endeavors by the independent GRWU, which currently represents approximately 50% of the workers at the factory. Gina management has refused to negotiate fairly with the GRWU, even after numerous promises to set up meetings. In Canada, the Maquila Solidarity Network (MSN) has been pressuring one of the Canadian retailers, La Senza, not to cut its orders with the Gina Form Bra factory and to work with other buyers to end harassment of union members and win the reinstatement of unjustly laid-off and fired union leaders. La Senza claims it is cutting off the factory because of May Day protests staged by MSN members and supporters in four Canadian cities. Gina workers report they finished the last La Senza order at the end of April, days before May Day protests took place. La Senza is clearly trying to use the protests to justify its irresponsible cut-and-run tactics. This is a tactic used by many companies that source from factories. Workers at Gina Form Bra need your support to ensure that US companies The Gap and The Limited do not follow suit! Join the growing international solidarity support actions on behalf of Thai workers! More information: <http://www.tieasia.org/Gina.htm> TAKE ACTIONWrite to The Gap and The Limited, urging them to ensure that the workers' demands are met by the Gina Form Bra Company, management at the factory, and the brands themselves! If possible, please also send a copy of your letter to the Gina Relation Worker Union and to Campaign for Labor Rights. SAMPLE LETTER:Dear [Decision Maker], I would like to bring to your attention an urgent situation at the Gina Form Factory in Thailand, which [Company Name] sources from. Factory management has been engaged in a fierce anti-union campaign, which is in direct violation of ILO standards and a threat to basic human and worker rights. [If you are writing to The Gap: I am aware that you have taken steps to assess this situation, and appreciate your involvement. Unfortunately, the situation has not improved.] It is essential that [Company Name] take immediate steps to ensure that the workers who produce your clothing are free to bargain collectively in their workplace! As a devoted consumer of [Company Name], I urge you to ensure that management at the Gina Form Bra Company and [Company Name] adhere to the following demands: 1) Absolute pledge by Gina Form Bra Company to not close the factory and that your company continues sourcing from the factory. (2) Demand that your subcontractor Gina Form Bra company return to the bargaining table and negotiate in good faith with the Gina Relation Worker Union. (2) Withdraw the Gina management case at the Labor Court, which seeks permission to fire five union committee leaders, including the President of the union. (3) Reinstate the 37 fired union members whose case is before the Supreme Civil Court. The 37 won in the first instance at the Labor Relations Committee (LRC), a tripartite body under the Ministry of Labor, and then won at the Labor Court when the company appealed the LRC decision. (4) End all anti-union harassment against the Gina Relation Worker Union, and end the favoritism by management of the yellow union, the Gina Ruamjai Union. I look forward to hearing about the steps you are taking to address the situation at the Gina Form Company factory. Sincerely, [Your Name] CONTACT INFORMATIONLimited Brands: The Gap: Gina Relation Worker Union Campaign for Labor Rights |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
