PUMA IN MESSICO: scriviamo contro la chiusura della Matamoros - Clean Clothes Campaign

["Ersilia Monti" <ersilia.monti@mclink.it>]

PUMA IN  MESSICO: scriviamo contro la chiusura della Matamoros Garment -
Clean Clothes Campaign

Come vi scrivevo nel mio ultimo messaggio, la Matamoros Garment, fabbrica
messicana terzista della Puma, ha chiuso inaspettatamente l'attivita' alla
fine di marzo. A pagarne le conseguenze sono i lavoratori, che pero' non si
rassegnano: vogliono riaprirla con un nuovo proprietario e la garanzia che
Puma e gli altri committenti continueranno a mandare ordini. Complica le
cose il fatto che il 26 marzo la richiesta di riconoscimento legale della
loro sigla sindacale SITEMAG e' stata respinta. Presenteranno ricorso,
coadiuvati come sempre dal Centro de Apoyo al Trabajador (CAT), il quale sta
cercando di trovare impiego temporaneo ai lavoratori presso la Mexmode di
Atlixco che ha gia' un sindacato indipendente (ricorderete il caso che
abbiamo seguito con successo due anni fa) sino a quando non si creeranno le
condizioni per la riapertura della fabbrica. Mentre la Clean Clothes
Campaign tedesca continua a tenere alta la pressione su Puma, noi scriviamo
alle istituzioni pubbliche messicane affinche' diano riconoscimento
ufficiale al SITEMAG e risolvano i conflitti legali relativi alla proprieta'
del terreno su cui sorge la Matamoros agevolando cosi' la vendita a un nuovo
proprietario.

SCRIVIAMO AL PRESIDENTE DELLA MUNICIPALITA' DI IZUCAR DE MATAMOROS
(sintesi: le chiediamo di intervenire in favore dei lavoratori della
Matamoros Garment che ha cessato l'attivita' in modo inaspettato; di
intervenire per risolvere la questione della proprieta' fondiaria in modo
che la fabbrica possa riaprire con un nuovo proprietario; di facilitare il
riconoscimento del sindacato dei lavoratori)

Prof. Meliton Lozano Perez
Honorable Ayuntamiento de Izucar de Matamoros
Puebla, Mexico
info@izucar.com.mx


Re: Matamoros Garment factory

Dear prof. Meliton Lozano Perez,

We call upon you to intervene on behalf of the workers of the Matamoros
Garment factory in Puebla producing for many international brands, including
Puma, who lost their job after the factory closed down unexpectedly at the
end of March.

We ask you in particular to intervene to solve the pending land tenancy
question of Matamoros Garment so that the factory may reopen under a new
owner, and meet with the Matamoros workers and the organization who assist
them, Centro de Apoyo al Trabajador (CAT), to help the workers win legal
recognition for their independent union SITEMAG.
We hope to be soon hearing good news in the Matamoros Garment case.
Sincerely
(nome, cognome, paese, eventuale organizzazione di appartenenza)


SCRIVIAMO AL GOVERNATORE DELLO STATO DEL PUEBLA
(collegatevi al sito:
http://www.puebla.gob.mx/gobierno/escribealgobernador.html e seguite le
istruzioni: 'Cual es su nombre?': inserire nome e cognome; Cual es su correo
electronico?: inserire indirizzo di email (attenzione potrebbe uscire un
messaggio di errore; a me non accettava il  punto fra nome e cognome, che ho
tolto. Ho pero' aggiunto il mio indirizzo di posta elettronica corretto nel
corpo del messaggio inviato); 'Ciudad': inserire la vostra citta'; 'Estado':
digitare Italy; 'Pais': digitare Italy; 'Mensaje': copiate e incollate il
testo del messaggio che trovate qui sotto)


Re : Matamoros Garment factory

Dear Gobernador Melquiades Morales Flores,

We call upon you to intervene on behalf of the workers of the Matamoros
Garment factory in Puebla producing for many international brands, including
Puma, who lost their job after the factory closed down unexpectedly at the
end of March.
We ask you in particular to use your power and influence to ensure that
workers' independent union SITEMAG wins the legal recognition appeal which
was filed by the workers after the union's registration was denied by the
Local Labour Board on irrelevant technical errors in the applications.
Secondly, we ask you to intervene to solve the pending land tenancy question
of Matamoros Garment so that the factory may reopen under a new owner.
We hope to be soon hearing good news in the Matamoros Garment case.
Sincerely
(nome, cognome, paese, eventuale organizzazione di appartenenza)


SCRIVIAMO AL CONSIGLIO DELLA CONCILIAZIONE E ARBITRAGGIO DEL LAVORO DI
PUEBLA
(sintesi: la richiesta di riconoscimento legale del sindacato dei lavoratori
della Matamoros e' stata respinta a fine marzo sulla base di motivi
irrilevanti. Vi chiediamo di garantire che siano corrisposte le liquidazioni
e di rispondere positivamente al ricorso che i lavoratori hanno presentato)

Lic. Armando Toxqui Quintero
Junta Local de  Conciliacion y arbitraje
Puebla, State of Puebla, Mexico
Email : armando.toxqui@puebla.gob.mx

Re : Matamors Garment factory

Dear Mr. Armando Toxqui Quintero,

The Junta Local de  Conciliacion y arbitraje denied at the end of March the
legal recognition of the independet union (SITEMAG) formed by the workers of
the Matamoros Garment factory in Puebla citing three weak reasons that had
nothing to do with the main point that the majority of workers wanted and
still wants an independent union to replace the company-selected CTM.
We believe that your office has a legal responsibility to help correct
technical errors on the applications and that was not done forcing workers
to file an appeal to obtain their union's registration.
We ask you to ensure that the workers receive their legally entitled
severance pay and recognize the union when the appeal is filed by showing a
neutral attitude in this process without taking the side of the company or
the CTM.
We hope to be soon hearing good news in the Matamoros Garment case.
Sincerely
(nome, cognome, paese, eventuale organizzazione di appartenenza)


Per essere esclusi dalla lista o ricevere informazioni sulla Clean Clothes
Campaign, inviate un messaggio a: ersilia.monti@mclink.it
Ersilia Monti (Coordinamento lombardo nord/sud del mondo - Rete di Lilliput
Nodo di Milano
P.le Governo Provvisorio 6 - 20127 Milano
Tel. 02-26140345; email: ersilia.monti@mclink.it




> -----Messaggio originale-----
> Da: owner-cleanclothes@xs4all.nl [mailto:owner-cleanclothes@xs4all.nl]
> Inviato: martedì 1 aprile 2003 17.31
> Oggetto: [cleanclothes] update on Matamoros Garment
>
>
> Dear friends,
>
> Please find below an update on the situation at Matamoros Garment from the
> CAT. The news is not good.  As you will see the factory, which was facing
> serious legal and financial difficulties (due to a large extent to
> mismanagement),  has effectively closed down. The workers are left to
carry
> the burden. There are some slight possibilities for reopening the plant
> under new management.
> Secondly, the Local Board of Conciliation and Arbitration rejected the
> application for registration of the indepedent union of MG workers,
SITEMAG.
> The workers and the CAT are determined to continue their struggle, the
main
> goal of which is to win their appeal of the denial of their legal
> recognition and assure that the maquila reopens with a new owner and the
> production of PUMA and other brands that recognize that the voice of the
> workers is SITEMAG.
> CAT will continue housevisiting the workers, training the SITEMAG
> committee, and helping the workers find stable employment with the Mexmode
> factory in Atlixco that already has an independent union until there is
> work again at the factory in Izúcar de Matamoros.
>
> The workers and the CAT once again call upon your support (see point 4 of
> this update) to pressure the government to recognize SITEMAG as the
> authentic representative of the workers of Matamoros Garment. Faxnumber
and
> email adresses are supplied below. Please take a moment to keep the
> pressure up in this important case!
> The German CCC will continue to keep in touch with PUMA to ensure that
they
> keep up their promise of placing new orders and allowing for independent
> verification (including of the right to freedom of association) in case a
> the factory reopens.
>
> Matamoros Garment Campaign  Update March 28, 2003
>
> 1. Matamoros Garment Closes
> 2. Government, Charro Union and Business Partners Agree to Buy off the
> Workers
> 3, Local Labor Board Denies Freedom of Union Association
> 4. Urgent and Continuous Actions Needed to Pressure the Government
>
> Izúcar de Matamoros, Puebla, México
>
> The Centro de Apoyo al Trabajador (CAT) brings very serious news to the
> national and international supporters of the Matamoros Garment Campaign.
At
> the same time it's necessary to tell you that we are not giving up on this
> fight because the Sindicato Independiente de Trabajadores de la Empresa
> Matamoros Garment (SITEMAG) is committed to achieve dignity for the
workers
> through the struggle to overcome all of the labor rights violations. Now
> more than ever we are confident that we can support the workers'
> organization with your help and support. We should continue pressuring the
> Mexican government at all levels to respect the workers' rights and live
up
> to their responsibility to defend the workers of Matamoros Garment. ¡La
> lucha sigue!
>
> 1. Matamoros Garment Closes
>
> Although they still can't admit the truth, Matamoros Garment management,
in
> collaboration with the Sindicato Francisco Villa of the CTM, has
> effectively closed the factory. The workers were paid their last weeks of
> back pay and the factory has removed the sewing machines. Antonio Rumilla,
> the Mexican business partner of factory director John Whittinghill, has
> officially told the workers and the Puebla media that Matamoros Garment
> will be undergo a "technical work stoppage" during which time there will
be
> no work and the workers will not receive their severance pay. A technical
> work stoppage or any other form of work stoppage implemented by the
factory
> without giving certain prior notice and proof of financial necessity is
> illegal according to Mexican labor law.
>
> To the workers and the CAT is seems obvious that the Local Labor Board
> (Junta Local de Conciliación y Arbitraje or JLCA), the CTM union
> federation, Rumilla and Whittinghill have hatched a plan to assure
> themselves a smooth exit and nothing for the hundreds of workers who have
> labored for up to four years in the maquila. Below is a chronology of the
> past two weeks, showing what's happened and revealing the horrible
> intentions of the JLCA, the CTM and company management.
>
> § Monday, March 17  After work management told the workers that there was
> no production and that the workers should come on Thursday to receive
their
> paychecks.
> § Tuesday, March 18  SITEMAG met with Prof. Justiniano Ruiz Tirado of the
> municipal office of Izúcar de Matamoros, asking him to help the unemployed
> workers. He spoke with the JLCA who responded that the situation was a
> "dispute between two unions."
> § Thursday, March 20  The workers arrived at the factory, waited several
> hours without receiving any news, and finally management and the JLCA told
> them that they were still not going to pay them but that they should come
> on Monday to pick up their checks. Also SITEMAG and the CAT began to
> housevisit the workers to marshal support for a collective demand for
their
> back pay and severances.
> § Monday, March 24  Antonio Rumilla, Sánchez Mondragón from the CTM, Labor
> Board President Armando Toxqui and his Secretary General Jorge Ramos met
in
> the JLCA office to decide how to handle the Matamoros Garment situation.
> They agreed to call a "technical work stoppage" of 15 days at 50% pay and
> that Rumilla would pay the workers their two weeks' back pay.
> § Also on Monday, March 24  SITEMAG and the CAT went to the municipal
> office of Izúcar de Matamoros to present Municipal President Melitón with
> legal allegations that the Matamoros Garment management intentionally
stole
> the workers' back pay. Later that day at noon the workers arrived at the
> factory to be paid. Several reporters were also present. Everyone waited
> until four o'clock in the afternoon until the CTM arrived with the JLCA,
> who witnessed the payment of two weeks' back pay using backdated checks.
> Then the CTM gave the workers free tacos and meat dishes and, together
with
> the Local Labor Board, explained the situation to the workers. They told
> lies about the CAT, for example that John Whittinghill was paying the CAT
> to sow confusion amongst the workers and that the CAT had falsified the
> signatures for the workers' collective demand. At this moment various
> workers spoke up saying that these allegations about the CAT were lies and
> questioning why the CTM and the JLCA had to buy the workers' loyalty by
> giving away free food. Afterward the CAT submitted the collective demand
to
> the JLCA with the signatures of 80 of the 130 workers currently at the
> plant, demanding that workers receive their severance pay.
> § Tuesday, March 25  At 8:30 pm the sewing machines were removed from the
> factory.
> § Wednesday, March 26  The JLCA denied SITEMAG's legal recognition, citing
> three reasons: they couldn't clarify the name of the union, the name of
> Ricarda Vazquéz of the union committee was written wrong and a mechanic
> from a legally-excluded position as confidential employee was forced to
> sign the recognition papers. The JLCA couldn't give the workers the
> official written denial because it was mailed to the wrong address.
> § Thursday, March 27  After a long and intense search, the CAT tracked
down
> the recognition's written rejection. We were very surprised to see that
the
> legal recognition had officially been denied since March 21 of the week
> before, which left us only half of the permitted 15 days to file an
appeal.
>
> 2. Government, Charro Union and Business Partners Agree to Buy off the
> Workers
>
> After an intense week of international demands made of the local
> governments of Izúcar de Matamoros, the State of Puebla, the Local Labor
> Board, and the Ministry of Labor in Mexico City and the Embassies and
> Consulates of México abroad, the same disappointing actors here in Puebla
> won the battle, but not the war. They made an agreement amongst
themselves,
> as well as with Rumilla, Whittinghill and the CTM, to close the factory,
> not pay the workers' severances and avoid the rise of SITEMAG and its
legal
> recognition. The workers of SITEMAG and the CAT, as well as many
> international organizations like US/LEAP, USAS and the Campaign for Labor
> Rights, contacted the Municipal President of Izúcar de Matamoros, Prof.
> Melitón Lozano Pérez, asking him to positively intervene on behalf of the
> workers and citizens of his town. In a written response to US/LEAP, the
> Director of Government of Izúcar de Matamoros, Prof. Justiniano Ruiz
> Tirado, wrote that his office had "made the necessary links with the Local
> Labor Board, specifically with Lic. Armando Toxqui Quintero, who made
> himself available to do whatever necessary to attend to the problems
> expressed by the workers." And now we see exactly what type of link the
> politicians of Puebla had in mind  they always prefer to be on the side of
> the company and the corrupt, financial interests in Puebla, not on the
side
> of their fellow citizens and workers. The demands of the international
> groups, SITEMAG and the CAT seemingly fell on deaf ears, because Antonio
> Rumilla of Matamoros Garment and Mario Antonio Sánchez Mondragón of the
> Sindicato Francisco Villa of the CTM protected their charro union and the
> future of labor exploitation in the Izúcar de Matamoros area when they
> convinced Toxqui and the State of Puebla to deny SITEMAG's legal
> recognition and leave hundreds of workers in the street without employment
> or severance pay.
>
> 3. Local Labor Board Denies Freedom of Union Association
>
> On January 13, 2003, 162 out of 250 Matamoros Garment workers signed legal
> papers during their one-day strike to form a new union, an independent
> union so the workers could exercise their right to freedom of union
> association. On June 20 SITEMAG delivered these papers and the JLCA told
> them to wait 60 days until the end of March to see if they'd be accepted.
> Yesterday SITEMAG received the decision, and no one was surprised  the
> Local Labor Board denied the legal registration, citing three weak reasons
> that had nothing to do with the main point, that the majority of workers
> wanted and still wants an independent union to replace the
> company-selected, government-controlled CTM. Yes, the workers and the CAT
> are upset by the decision, especially that the JLCA did not allow the full
> 15 days to file an appeal because they delivered the papers late and to
the
> wrong address seven days after the 15-day period had already begun.
However
> we are going to keep forming and building the union until, under the
weight
> of national and international pressure, the corrupt political forces of
> Puebla are forced to recognize SITEMAG as the authentic representative of
> the workers of Matamoros Garment.
>
> 4. Urgent and Continuous Actions Needed to Pressure the Government
>
> Therefore the continued participation of our national and international
> supporters is of the utmost importance. The main goals are to win the
> workers' appeal of the denial of their legal recognition and assure that
> the maquila reopens with a new owner and the production of PUMA and other
> brands that recognize that the voice of the workers is SITEMAG. Here in
> Puebla we will continue housevisiting the workers, training the SITEMAG
> committee, and helping the workers find stable employment with the Mexmode
> factory in Atlixco that already has an independent union until there is
> work again at the factory in Izúcar de Matamoros. We need you to help us
> with the following steps, and as always, to tell PUMA to stick to its
> promise to return its production to the factory when we know whom the new
> owner will be.
>
> 1. Contact Prof. Melitón Lozano Pérez of Izúcar de Matamoros  Demand that
> he intervene to resolve the land question regarding the Matamoros Garment
> property so the workers can have their jobs back. He promised all of us
> that he was going to intervene on the workers' behalf, but so far he
hasn't
> done anything. The current situation is that the last municipal president
> of Izúcar de Matamoros gave the land to Korean businessman John Kim, but
> Kim can't legally sell the land because there's still a dispute between
two
> ejidos about who really owns the land. Melitón is a PRD political party
> leader in a state where the two main political parties are the PRI and the
> PAN. He needs to maintain his political base of support because, if not,
> surely the other parties will win the voters' sympathies.
>
> Profr. Melitón Lozano Pérez
> Honorable Ayuntamiento de Izúcar de Matamoros
> Palacio Municipal S/N, Colonia Centro
> Izúcar de Matamoros, Puebla, México 74400
> Telephone: (243) 436-0006
> Email: info@izucar.com.mx
>
> 2. Contact the Governor of the State of Puebla  Demand that Governor
> Melquíades Morales Flores do two things for the citizens and workers of
his
> state. First, that he use his power and influence to ensure that SITEMAG
> wins the legal recognition appeal, because the Local Labor Board is part
of
> the state government. Second, that he resolve the land question at
> Matamoros Garment. Morales is a PRI political party leader and it's
> important for his party that the Izúcar de Matamoros investment climate
> isn't threatened by an anti-union, anti-progress reputation. In a few
weeks
> Morales is going to Washington D.C. and this will be a good opportunity
for
> groups to meet with him.
>
> Gobernador Melquíades Morales Flores
> 14 Oriente, No. 1204, Colonia El Alto
> Puebla, Puebla, México
> Telephone: (222) 213-8815, 213-8816
> Email him at: http://www.puebla.gob.mx/gobierno/escribealgobernador.html
>
> 3. Contact the Local Labor Board  Although the JLCA denied SITEMAG's legal
> recognition and collaborated with the company and the charro union, they
> still need to know that we will not back off just because our first
attempt
> was denied. Of the three reasons that the JLCA gave for denying the legal
> recognition, only one had any merit whatsoever, that the name of one of
the
> leaders was incorrectly written. The JLCA is charged with a legal
> responsibility to help correct technical errors on the applications. They
> failed this responsibility at the very least, but more importantly they
> need to assure that the workers receive their legally entitled severance
> pay and recognize the union when the appeal is filed. We insist that the
> JLCA be neutral in this process and not take the side of the company or
the
> CTM.
>
> Lic. Armando Toxqui Quintero
> Junta Local de Conciliación y Arbitraje
> 7 Norte 205, Colonia Centro
> Puebla, Puebla, México
> Telephone: (222) 232-2551
> Email: armando.toxqui@puebla.gob.mx
>
> 4. Contact the Government of the United States of México  The Mexican
> federal government has a responsibility to defend the citizens and workers
> of the country. The government of President Vicente Fox is affiliated with
> the PAN political party, which has an electoral interest that the other
two
> parties don't gain more strength in Puebla. The message for the federal
> government is that they intervene to resolve the land question, to assure
a
> stable investment climate in Puebla, and to advocate for SITEMAG's legal
> recognition. Some groups have already had success meeting with the Mexican
> Embassy in Washington D.C. and the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles. Also,
> some have communicated with the Mexican Ministry of Labor in Mexican City.
>
> Please contact the embassies and consulates in your various countries, or
> communicate directly with:
>
> Lic. Carlos María Abascal Carranza
> Secretaría del Trabajo y Previsión Social
> Periférico Sur, No. 4271, Edif.. A, Piso 4
> Colonia Fuentes del Pedregal
> D.F. México, México 14149
> Fax: (52) 5645-5594
> Email: correo@stps.gob.mx
>
> Make a donation NOW! We need it... go to www.cleanclothes.org and click on
> "Make a Donation".
>
> Clean Clothes Campaign
> PO Box 11584
> 1001 GN Amsterdam
> The Netherlands
> tel: + 31 20 4122785
> fax: + 31 20 4122786
> e-mail:ccc@xs4all.nl
> http://www.cleanclothes.org
>
>
>
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