2017 Year-End Review
What have Union League members been doing in 2017? Here's our 2017 Year in Review!
But First: TAKE ACTION! - Bangalore, India:
Sign & share Avery Dennison workers' petition to call on brands to ensure their rights are respected! On Monday, December 18th, Avery Dennison workers in Bangalore, India refused food and went on a hunger strike in their factory, taking action to resist anti-worker mistreatment by management! Workers in the factory, organized with League member Garment and Textile Workers' Union (GATWU), took action to protest conditions in their factory owned by Avery Dennison, which supplies hangtags for brands such as H&M, Adidas, Levi's, Timberland, and many others. They are now on Day 9 of their hunger strike and need our support! Take action and call on the brands whose profits are made by these workers to do the right thing!
Now, on to our 2017 in review! -
Turkey
Workers at H&M supplier KT Deri, represented by Deriteks Sendikası, successfully negotiated a collective bargaining agreement with their employer, gaining a 19% wage increase and two bonuses a year among other benefits!
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Over 1,000 Bangladeshi Workers Take Action to Support Rohingya!
Over a thousand workers have observed an hour-long hunger strike today, Friday, December 15, 2017, at 10:30am in front of the National Press Club, in Dhaka city, with call to the international community to stop all kinds of trade concessions to Myanmar, immediate resolution of the Rohingya crisis, relieving Bangladesh from danger and protection of workers & labour-standard of Bangladesh. Bangladesh Trade Union Solidarity Committee for Rohingya (BTUSCR), formed with 12 trade union
federations, organized the program.
The program was presided over by BTUSCR Coordinator labour leader Amirul Haque Amin. It was addressed by Joint Coordinators of the Committee M Delwar Hossain, Quamrul Hasan, Kazi Mohammad Ali, Ms Arifa Akter, Rafiqul Islam Babul, Ms Shamima Shirin, Ms Papiya Akter, Advocate Haider Ali, Faruque Khan, Rafiqul Islam Rafique, Ms Nasima Akter, Ms Kulsum Akter, Ms Sima Akter, Humayun Kabir and Fulbabu.
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Nike Day of Action to Support SITRASTAR
Gildan announced at the beginning of April 2017 that it would cut 350 workers in the STAR factory in Honduras, where the SITRASTAR trade union has represented workers since 2008. The union and management were about to negotiate their 5th Collective Bargaining Agreement by the end of 2017. The brand ANVIL owns STAR, it was purchased in 2013 by GILDAN and more recently in February 2017, GILDAN announced the purchase of the company American Apparel. GILDAN's financial reports have shown sustained and growing growth in sales and profits including operations in Honduras.
The union, from the outset, pointed out that the real intention is to make the Collective Bargaining Agreement more flexible and less comprehensive, and even to destroy the union which has achieved important benefits for workers. SITRASTAR appealed to the International Union League for Brand Responsibility, which includes SITRAJERZEES-ND in Honduras, FEDOTRAZONAS in the Dominican Republic, and in SITRASACOSI El Salvador. They all developed a series of actions and lobbying efforts coordinating with the Union League, USAS, MSN as well as Batay Ouvriye in Haiti, who simultaneously faced a strike and strong tensions at GILDAN factories in their country.
STAR produced sportswear for ADIDAS and NIKE for many years. Both brands argued that they did not control GILDAN's production decisions but pledged to make it reflect and examine the options. After the days of action on July 22 and 29, GILDAN announced that it had only dismissed 120 workers, some who left voluntarily, relocated some to another factory in Villa Nueva or dismissed them with all of the benefits legally owed to them.
However, GILDAN seems to be developing another strategy, SITRASTAR is now reporting that the managers are using a group of workers controlled by the bosses to try to take over the union leadership. The leaders of this group under employer control have economic support and are using violence and threats to achieve their goals. On September 26, 2017, the Secretary General of SITRASTAR was threatened with death in order to try to prevent them from distributing a union leaflet.
SITRASTAR has requested that we pay attention for updates on the situation and be prepared to support them when needed!
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HUNGER STRIKE: Day 3 Avery Dennison Workers in Bangalore, India
Workers at Avery Dennison Pvt. Ltd. in Bangalore, India have now been on a hunger strike for 3 days to protest the inhumane working conditions in their factory. Workers at the factory have been paid below minimum wage illegally for years and were forced to work on short-term contracts, despite working consistently for years, working alongside permanent workers but not allowed the same benefits for the same work.
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GATWU Workers on Hunger Strike to Protest Avery Dennison Discrimination!
On Monday, December 18th, Avery Dennison workers in Bangalore, India refused food and went on a hunger strike in their factory, taking action to resist anti-worker mistreatment by management!
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Deriteks Sendikası Completed Collective Bargaining Negotiations with H&M Supplier!
Congratulations to League member Deriteks Sendikası for successfully coming to a collective bargaining agreement with KT Deri, an H&M supplier!
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Union League Holds Americas Regional Meeting in Honduras
The International Union League for Brand Responsibility held its regional meeting for Americas League members in San Pedro Sula, Cortes, Honduras at the end of November 2017. The meeting was a successful three days of connecting our struggles and strategizing for a strong start to 2018!
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Philippines: Call for Support Against Duterte Government’s Crackdown and Killings of Workers, Labor Organizers and Human Rights Defenders in the Philippines!
** CALL TO ACTION **
20 workers and labor organizers have been killed under the US-Duterte regime.
Workers and labor organizers who were victimized by extra-judicial killings are Merly Valguna and Dorie Mallari , Ariel Diaz, Edilberto Miralles, Orlando Abangan, Joel Lising, Alexander Ceballos, Wenceslao Pacquiao, Renato Anglo, Orlando Eslana, Glenn Ramos, Pepito Tiambong, Jerson Bito, Ariel Gelbero, Gaggil Jama, Jemar Jama, Radzmie Jama, Francisco Guevarra, Reneboy Magayano, and Edwin Pura.
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Timberland Wages Harassment Campaign Against Union Leader!
Workers at a Timberland supplier in the industrial zone Zona Franca Industrial PISANO de Santiago de los Caballeros have been organizing with FEDOTRAZONAS for the last 4 years.
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Resist Duterte’s fascism, State Terrorism, and Creeping Dictatorship!
The Union League stands in solidarity with member Kilusang Mayo Uno in the Philippines standing up to US-backed Duterte's increasingly fascist actions! From KMU:
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