Haití: Campaña contra los despidos arbitrarios de sindicalistas

Amigas y amigos,

Estamos lanzando una campaña en contra de los despidos arbitrarios de los miembros del comité SOTA. Uno de los primeros pasos es escribir a los dueños de fábrica para hacerles saber de nuestra protesta.

Con su apoyo, la campaña será mucho más fuerte. Un ejemplo de carta va abajo (en inglés), junto con las direcciones email de los dueños de fábrica.

Gracias por su solidaridad activa.

Batay Ouvriye

FOLLOW UP on Press Release No. 1 – Letter to be sent to the companies:

We’ve been informed of the union busting tactics that your company , a member of ADIH (Association of Industries of Haiti) have been involved lately. Freedom of association is recognized in the Haitian constitution and the Labor code. Workers should be able to join union of their choice. SOTA (Sendika Ouvriye Tektil ak Abiman) is legally recognized by the Ministry of Social affairs and Labor. As one of the owners of the assembling factories where workers were harassed, intimidated or dismissed because either they are members or sympathizers of the initiative of forming a union to defend their rights, we are calling upon you to cease those practices and comply with the Haiti’s legislation regarding labor relations and the code of conduct of the companies producing in your pants, notably the Gildan Activewear corporation. We demand the following:

- The reinstatement of all SOTA executive committee members and other members and the recognition the SOTA union as representing the textile factory workers;
- Management and SOTA Executive committee to discuss the list of demands of the workforce of all the factories involved;
- The minister of social affairs and labor to take appropriate steps to ensure that the right of workers to join a union is protected;
- The Gildan company requires its suppliers in Haiti to issue a statement to the workforce both verbally and in writing, stating that workers have the right to join union and to bargain collectively with management.
- All textile companies, members of ADIH to stop blacklisting workers.

Please send your letter to the following addresses and cc to batay@batayouvriye.org:

1) Mr. Gerard APAID/GENESIS – gapaid33166@yahoo.com
2) Mr. Charles Henry BAKER/ONE WORLD APPAREL – chbaker@pbapparel.com
3) Mr. Richard COLES/MULTIWEAR - rcoles@multitex.com 4) ADIH - administration@adih.ht