Haiti: protest letter to Levi Strauss & Co.

From
Charles Arthur
Haiti Support Group
London, UK

To
Michael Kobori
Director, Global Code of Conduct
Levi Strauss & Co.
1155 Battery St.
San Francisco, CA 94111
Tel: (415 ) 501-1459
Fax: (415) 501-1485
email: mkobori [at] levi.com

25 March 2004

Re: the denial of workers' rights at Grupo M Codevi, Ouanaminthe, Haiti

Dear Mr Kobori,

Thank you for your reply dated 16 March in which you wrote:
"On March 3, we became aware of a number of allegations raised by Batay Ouvriye regarding the Grupo M facility in Haiti. These allegations are of great concern to us. As such, we have begun an immediate investigation of this situation. In addition, we understand that senior members of Grupo M management are meeting with representatives of Batay Ouvriye to establish a dialogue and open up a collaborative process to bring about the resolution of this situation."


The Haiti Support Group, which has supported Haitian workers' rights to organise and undertake collective bargaining (internationally-recognised rights) for over 10 years, would be very pleased to be made aware of the results of the Levi Strauss & Co. investigation, and to be informed of what action your company has taken to press Grupo M to re-instate the dismissed Sokowa union members.

Our sources in Ouanaminthe inform us that senior members of the Grupo M management have indeed met with representatives of Batay Ouvriye. However, far from establishing a dialogue and opening up a collaborative process to bring about a resolution, the Grupo M representatives instead apparently conducted themselves in an aggressive and dismissive manner. Grupo M CEO, Fernando Capellan, even walked out of the meeting in Santiago on Monday, 8 March, before it had concluded.

Since then, we understand that far from resolving the situation, the representatives of Grupo M have prevaricated, and reneged on a promise to issue a final decision on the status of the dismissed workers. This tactic is clearly designed to pressure the dismissed workers to accept their severance pay, thereby accepting their status as fired workers, and, in so doing, impede a legal action against the company for unfair dismissal. Without pay for nearly four weeks, the living situation of the fired workers and their dependents is critical. In the opinion of the Haiti Support Group, the Grupo M management's disgusting and cynical ploy to take advantage of poverty-stricken workers and their dependents reflects very badly on the main contractor at Codevi -Levi Strauss & Co.

Once again we call on you to use your influence on the Grupo M management. We are pleased that the Levi Strauss & Co. is committed to ensuring that its suppliers observe its comprehensive code of conduct, and we hope that - sooner rather than later - you can furnish us with information about your action to bring this deplorable situation to a conclusion in which the legitimate rights of the workers are respected.

Yours sincerely,

Charles Arthur
director, the Haiti Support Group

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This email is forwarded as a service of the Haiti Support Group.

See the Haiti Support Group web site:
http://www.haitisupport.gn.apc.org

Solidarity with the Haitian people's struggle for justice, participatory democracy and equitable development, since 1992.
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