ISC solidarity in Haiti
July 8th, 2008
Justice for laid-off garment workers in Haiti
Joseph Lapp II, one of the ISC delegates who represented the IWW in Haiti in late April and early May, recently sent a letter to underwear manufacturer Hanes Brands, Inc. and Global Supply protesting the actions of Hanes subcontractor CD Apparel. In the letter, Joseph describes how during his trip to Haiti he became aware of the ongoing struggle of 500 factory workers who lost their jobs as a direct result of Hanes' decision to withdraw its contract from CD Apparel and move production to a different factory.
The letter points out that although these workers were in time paid their legally required severance (a very tiny amount), they have not received the same level of compensation as workers employed under contract by Hanes in other parts of the world have been, in similar situations. The letter urged Hanes to fairly compensate the workers, expressing hope that the company will live up to its responsibilities but warning that if it does not the IWW will take further action as appropriate.
Solidarity with fired Haitian workers
The ISC wrote a letter expressing outrage over the recent arrest of two female workers at the Ministry of Social Affairs in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. These workers, along with others, were seeking redress over severance pay they have been owed since December of 2007 due to the closing of their place of employment. Since the owner of the factory where they worked, Jean Paul Faubert, has for six months refused to pay them their back wages, the workers were seeking help from the Ministry of Social Affairs. In response to this appeal these two individuals were arrested.
In the letter, the ISC pointed out that it is the duty of the Ministry of Social Affairs to assist workers who are mistreated by their employers and that this recent action only gives credit the often expressed suspicion that the Ministry exists only to serve the interests of factory owners and business people, and not the workers. The IWW urged the Ministry to demand that Jean Paul Faubert pay the fired Sohacosa workers the severance pay that he owes them, as required under Haitian law.
July 15th, 2008 at 07:15 PM NOTE : FRANTZ PILORGE AND REGINALD BAKER ARE OWNER OF CD APPAREL S.A IN HAITI OF MORE, CONTRACTORS OF SARALEE/ HANESBRANDS [HBI] THEREFORE, THE HAVE GOT A DIRECT CONTRACT WITH THIS AMARICAN COMPANY [HANESBRANDS] THAT MEANS : SO WHEN AN INTERNATIONAL COMPANY GET DIRECT CONTRACT WITH AN OWNER IN ANY COUNTRY THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL LEGISLATION AND THE CODE OF CONDUCT ABOUT WORK MAKE OBLIGATION TO THE DIRECTION OF THE COMPANY AFTER THE CLOSING OF ANY PLANT TO DAMAGE AND REPAIR THE EMPLOYEES .IT'S FOR THAT THE WORKERS OF CD APPAREL S.A [PLANT NAME, HG] IN HAITI INVITE THE PRINCIPAL OF TRADE UNION ORGANISATION, THE RESPONSIBLES OF PROTECTION AND HUMAN RIGHTS, THE LAWER'S MEN AND THE LEADERS OF SARALEE/ HANESBRANDS [HBI] TO COME INTO HAITI AT SONAPI INDUSTRIAL PARK OF TOUSSAINT LOUVERTURE AVENUE BUILDING # 31 TO MEET WITH THE WORKERS SO THAT THIS CRISIS COULD BE UNLOCK . DO NOT FORGET THAT THE LEADERS OF HANES GET DAMAGED THE EMPLOYEES OF DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, PUERTO- RICO, MEXICO, CANADA AND U.S.A ETC... FOR WHAT NOT THE HAITIAN'S EMPLOYEES AT CD APPAREL S.A . BY THIS FACT IF HANES CONTINUE REFUSING TO DAMAGE THE WORKERS EVERY BODY CAN CONSIDERS THIS ACTION LIKE BEING OF EXPLOITATION, CRIMINAL, ABUSING, RACE DISCRIMINATION , INJUSTICE OR BECAUSE OF THE WORKERS ARE THE BLACK PEOPLE . TO NOT THAT CD APPAREL S.A [HG] IS CERTIFIED BY WRAP ORGANISATION AS A PLANT OR ENTERPRISE IN HAITI LEGITIMATE AND LEGAL TO BE WORKING FOR SARALEE/ HANESBRANDS [HBI] AND THEN THE CERTIFICATION NUMBER FOR CD APPAREL S.A IS 5382 . TO REMIND THAT CD APPAREL S.A HAS BEEN AND STILL LIVES THE NUMBER ONE FROM ALL OF PLANT PRODUCING BETTER AND GIVING THE BEST EFFICIENCY ABOUT PRODUCTION AND QUALITY IT'S FOR SO THIS PLANT IN HAITI CONSIDERED TOWARDS THEIR EYES LIKE BEEING THE BEST IN THE CARIBBEAN . ALL PEOPLE CAN VERIFY THIS INFORMATION IN THE YEARBOOK OF SARALEE / HANESBRANDS . IF IT'S SO ACCORDING TO THE LEADERS OF HANESBRANDS [HBI] THEY HAVE TO FIXE THEIR POSITION SO THAT THE RESPONSIBLES OF HUMAN RIGHTS, THE TRADE UNION ORGANISATION AND THE LAWER'S MEN COULD TAKE ACTION ON THIS BAD SITUATION AGAINST THE POOR HAITIAN WORKERS. GOD BLESSES THE WORKERS IN THE WORLD!!!
July 21st, 2008 at 06:55 PM The objective of our walkout towards consists of you it's to inform you of a position criticizes that we lived in Haiti, we the workers victims of the CD APPAREL S.A since May 4, 2007 this is that: FRANTZ PILORGE [owner of the cd apparel] of complicity with the private sector Haiti, the middle class haitian and the leaders of hanes [HBI] do all to maintain the workers in discrimination and the misery after the brutal closing and illegal of the plant CD APPAREL by Hanes without previous notice, refuse of us damage and repair. Of more FRANTZ PILORGE informed the workers than Hanes does not want to pay the workers by motive of racial discrimination and the color question, and course the workers are black haitian of more, he says, that to every closing of a plant, the persons in charge of Hanes do themselves always the duty of damage and pay charge to all of employees according to the requirement of the social international legislation of the work and the CODE OF CONDUCT from Hanes Therefore, PILORGE says if Hanes does not want repair the workers of cd apparel in Haiti this is a crime against humanity and a flagrant violation of the right of the workers. For more of informations, we invite yourself to click on these links. We are at sonapi, parc industial # 31. in here the address of our lawyer/ attorney : 509/34297129; 509/37548022; 22133089.We already get informed all People in the World by that means: The Trade Union Organisation , the ResponsiBles of Human Right ,the Social Group and the Lawer's Men, if the Leaders of Saralee / Hanesbrands [Hbi] could take an other way different than the only one to damage the poor Haitian Workers to take note against them and sentence that nasty action against the protection and the Right of the Workers in the World . In sum Pilorge and Reginald Baker note for example Hanes pays charges and damage the employees of D.R, Puerto Rico; Mexico; Canada and the U.S.A Plant for what according to him Hanes refuse to dame the workers of CD APPAREL S.A [HG] for this : The responsibles of human right and the lawer’s men must demand to the responsibles of Hanes to pay the workers after 4 years of excellent works for the company Hanes !!! HE TERMINATES BY TELLING THAT THE LEADERS OF HANESBRANDS EXPLOIT THE POORS HAITIANS WORKERS [SAYS FRANTZ PILORGE ]