NIKE E PUMA: un appello agli italiani da Nikewatch Campaign - Clean Clothes Campaign

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

NIKE E PUMA:  UN APPELLO AGLI ITALIANI  DA NIKEWATCH CAMPAIGN- Clean
Clothes Campaign

Sui casi  Nike/PT Doson (Indonesia) e Puma/Matamoros (Messico) Tim Connor,
coordinatore della Nikewatch Campaign per l'organizzazione australiana Oxfam
Community Aid Abroad, invita a scrivere una email alla Footlocker, una delle
piu' grandi catene di distribuzione di scarpe e abbigliamento sportivi.
Rivolge l'invito in modo particolare agli italiani che pare si siano
distinti per il numero di messaggi inviati finora a Nike. Questo non puo'
che farci piacere (grazie a tutti da parte mia) e dunque insistiamo!

Ecco un aggiornamento sul caso PT Doson, a seguire il testo da inviare a
Footlocker (sul caso Puma inviero' a giorni le ultime notizie):

Due rappresentanti degli ex lavoratori della PT Doson, Yeheskiel Prabowo e
Ida Mustari, accompagnati da Tim Connor di Oxfam Community Aid Abroad, hanno
preso parte a un seminario al controvertice di Davos (Public Eye on Davos)
su globalizzazione e lavoro, il 27 gennaio scorso. Phil Knight, presente al
World Economic Forum,  e' stato invitato a discutere pubblicamente delle
politiche del lavoro di Nike, ma ha preferito declinare l'invito. Ida ha
raccontato i suoi 9 anni di lavoro alla PT Doson a far scarpe per Nike, la
quantita' di ore straordinarie lavorate da lei e dal marito senza riuscire a
mantenere i due figli, cresciuti dai nonni nella lontana Sumatra, per
vederli solo una volta all'anno per quattro giorni durante le festivita'
religiose. Poi a settembre 2002 la doccia fredda: Nike toglie le commesse,
per Ida e per i suoi compagni e' il licenziamento in tronco. Per poter avere
la liquidazione, citano in giudizio il datore di lavoro, che garantisce solo
la meta' della somma, pur sapendo che una causa puo' durare fino a 2 anni.
Ida cerca un nuovo posto, ma intanto, come molti altri, deve fare debiti per
sopravvivere ed e' chiaro che non potra' continuare a pagare la sua parte di
spese legali. Gli ex dipendenti della PT Doson - riferisce al Jakarta Post
uno dei loro rappresentati sindacali  - sono costretti a vivere di riso e
sale. In virtu' del meccanismo del subappalto, che le consente di scindere
legalmente le proprie responsabilita' da quelle dei suoi fornitori, a nulla
sono valsi finora i tentativi di ottenere da Nike il pagamento del dovuto.
Ma su questo occorre insistere: Nike non puo' sottrarsi alla responsabilita'
morale che la lega a chi ha contribuito a costruire la sua fortuna per 11
anni e mezzo e ora chiede che siano rispettati i suoi diritti. Trovate i
racconti di Ida e Prabowa a Davos nel sito www.evb.ch/nikewatch.htm.


COPIATE E SPEDITE QUESTO MESSAGGIO
(sintesi: la vostra e' una delle piu' grande catene di distribuzione di
articoli sportivi, per questo vi chiedo di contribuire alla risoluzione di
due conflitti di lavoro, in Indonesia e in Messico. PT Doson ha prodotto
scarpe sportive per conto di Nike per 11 anni e mezzo e ora, rimasta senza
lavoro, ha licenziato tutti i 7 mila dipendenti. I lavoratori hanno fatto
causa al proprietario per avere la liquidazione, ma i tempi sono lunghi e
intanto fanno la fame. Chiedete a Nike di intervenire immediatamente, il
fatto che non fosse proprietaria della fabbrica non la esime dalle sue
responsabilita' morali. Puma ha dato lavoro alla Matamoros Garment in
Messico fino al gennaio 2003. Le condizioni di lavoro erano pessime, ma
proprio quando si stava formando un sindacato, Puma ha tolto le commesse.
Chiedete a Puma di ripristinare gli ordini e assicurare il libero esercizio
dell'attivita' sindacale. Voi avete il potere di influenzare le decisioni di
aziende come Nike e Puma e di far sapere che i consumatori non vogliono
acquistare prodotti ottenuti con lo sfruttamento del lavoro)

Inviate il messaggio a:
customer_service at footlocker.com (attenzione digitate: customer_service)
help at footlocker-europe.com

inviatene copia a:
timc at sydney.caa.org.au,
continuous.improvement at nike.com

Oggetto: Nike-PTDoson, Puma-Matamoros

Mr. Matthew D. Serra
President and Chief Executive Officer
 Footlocker Inc.

Dear Mr. Matthew D. Serra,

As your company is one of the world's largest sportswear retailers, I am
writing to urgently seek your support for workers from two sportswear
factories. One was in Indonesia, the other is in Mexico. The PT Doson
factory in Indonesia produced sportshoes for Nike for eleven and a half
years. In September 2002 Nike stopped ordering from the factory and it
closed, putting 7,000 people out of work.

The factory's owner is refusing to pay workers the severance pay required by
the Indonesian government. The workers have taken the factory to court, but
the case could take up to two years to complete. Meanwhile workers are
living off credit while they seek other work. Press reports indicate that
many of the workers are going hungry, with meals consisting of little more
than rice with salt.

Please urgently call Nike's attention to this case and urge the company to
pay workers what they are owed. Nike's system of contracting out all its
production should not excuse Nike from responsibility for ensuring that the
legal rights of the workers who make its goods are respected. This includes
their right to severance pay when a factory closes, particular when the
factory closes as a result of Nike cutting its orders.

Puma was a customer at the Matamoros Garment factory in Mexico from July
2002 until January 2003. A Mexican labour rights group reports that
conditions at the factory were poor, including illegally low wages, forced
overtime and verbal abuse.  Puma recently ceased ordering from the factory,
just as workers started to establish an independent union.According to Puma
this was because the factory is currently unable to meet production
deadlines. The factory owner has told workers that Puma left because the
workers organised a union and held a short strike for better
wages and conditions. Genuine respect and promotion of workers' right to
form and join democratic trade unions is the most powerful way that
companies can prevent exploitation in the production of their goods.
Please urge Puma to restart ordering from the Matamoros Garment factory and
to work with the factory to ensure that workers' trade union rights are
respected.

As a major sportswear retailer your company has considerable influence over
Nike, Puma and other sportswear companies. Consumers do not want to buy
goods made in sweatshops. I look forward to hearing that you have used your
influence to persuade these companies to do the right thing in these
cases.

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 at mclink.it

Ersilia Monti
(Coordinamento lombardo nord/sud del mondo - Rete di Lilliput Nodo di
Milano)
P.le Governo Provvvisorio 6
20127 Milano
tel.02-26140345
email: ersilia.monti at mclink.it
-------------------



> >X-XS4ALL-DNSBL-Checked: mxzilla2.xs4all.nl checked 203.24.133.1 against
> >DNS blacklists
> >X-XS4ALL-Pad: empty
> >X-Filtered: qmail-filter $Revision: 1.6 $ $Date: 2001/02/13 23:41:19 $
> >X-Sender: tconnor at pop.nlc.net.au
> >X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 5.1
> >Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 08:54:07 +1100
> >To: info at cleanclothes.org
> >From: Tim Connor <timothyc at sydney.caa.org.au>
> >Subject: Re latest NikeWatch news.
> >
> >HI CCC'ers
> >
> >Below is the latest NikeWatch News, with an email action targetting
> >Footlocker stores. I would like to forward it to the CCC list
> >(particularly to the Italians) who have been sending heaps of emails re
> >the Doson case.
> >
> >Does the latest news re Montamaros mean I need to change it though before
> >we pass it to other CCC's though? Is Puma definitely going back in?
> >
> >best, Tim
> >
> >NikeWatch News - February 2003
> >
> >******************************************
> >There are now 2,000 of us on the NikeWatch lists.
> >The more of us there are, the harder we are to ignore.
> >******************************************
> >
> >UPDATE FROM LAST ACTION:
> >A big thank you to the 174 list members who have, in the last two months,
> >sent protest emails to Nike in support of workers from two Nike
suppliers,
> >the Bed and Bath Prestige factory in Thailand and the PT Doson factory in
> >Indonesia.
> >
> >The Thai government has provided a partial solution for the Thai workers,
> >but unfortunately workers from the Doson factory in Indonesia are going
> >hungry while they wait on the result of a court case that could take up
to
> >two years to complete.
> >
> >IN THIS NIKEWATCH NEWS...
> >we update these two cases and bring you news of attempts to establish a
> >union in a Puma contract factory in Mexico, worker elections in two
Reebok
> >contract factories in China and a breakthrough for the Fair Wear campaign
> >in Australia.
> >
> >THIS MONTH'S ACTION:
> >Please take two minutes to copy or adapt the text at the bottom of this
> >email and send it to Footlocker. It asks the retailer to persuade Nike
and
> >Puma to respect workers rights in Indonesia and Mexico. Footlocker is
> >Nike's biggest retail customer, so Nike should care what they say.
> >
> >*****************************************************
> >CONTENTS
> >
> >1. Nike in Indonesia: Doson workers down to eating rice with salt, but
> >still Nike refuses to pay.
> >2. Nike denies it is planning to pull out of Indonesia
> >3. Nike, Adidas in Thailand I: Partial solution for redundant workers
> >4. Nike, Adidas in Thailand II: Workers given amphetamines so they could
> >work through the night.
> >5. Puma in Mexico: Leaving a factory where workers are standing up for
> >their rights
> >6. Reebok in China: Worker elections in two supplier factories
> >7. Campaign breakthrough in Australia: 34 companies sign retailers' code
> >8. Oxfam Campaign Update: War in Iraq would be a humanitarian disaster
> >9. Send a protest email to Footlocker, Nike's biggest retailer
> >
> >*****************************************************
> >1.  Nike in Indonesia: Doson workers down to eating rice with salt, but
> >still Nike refuses to pay.
> >
> >Last month Oxfam Community Aid Abroad staff accompanied two
> >representatives of workers from the PT Doson factory, Mr. Yeheskiel
> >Prabowo and Ms. Ida Mustari, to Davos in Switzerland. Nike's CEO, Philip
> >Knight was in Davos for the World Economic Forum meeting and was invited
> >to discuss Nike's labour practices with the workers in an open forum.
Nike
> >declined to send a representative, saying a current court case against
the
> >company in the US made it impossible for them to attend.
> >
> >Ida described how she had made Nike shoes at PT Doson for nine years. She
> >reported that although she and her husband had both worked full-time, and
> >put in considerable overtime, they could not afford child-care. She said
> >they were forced by their poverty to send their two children to live with
> >Ida's parents in Sumatra, 36 hours travel away. Ida and her husband only
> >saw their children once per year, for four days during the annual lebaran
> >religious holiday.
> >
> >Nike, the factory's only customer, ceased its orders in September last
> >year and the factory closed, putting 7,000 people out of work. The
factory
> >owner is only offering workers half the severance pay to which they are
> >legally entitled and the workers have had to take the factory to court.
> >Court cases like this can take up to two years to resolve.
> >
> >In her speech Ida reported that she and other workers cannot afford to
> >keep contributing to the ongoing legal fees needed for the court case.
She
> >said that they are having to borrow money to meet their basic needs while
> >they look for other work. Mr. Djoko, the leader of the union branch in
the
> >factory, recently reported to the Jakarta Post that workers were down to
> >eating rice with salt in order to survive.
> >
> >Nike is insisting that PT Doson is an independent business and that Nike
> >has no responsibility to pay workers their severance pay.
> >
> >The workers see it differently. Their union points out that Nike profited
> >from the labour of workers at the factory for eleven and a half years.
> >They argue that Nike therefore has a moral responsibility to help them
> >now. If the Doson factory had been a Nike subsiduary, Nike would be
> >legally obliged to pay the workers what they are owed. Nike's system of
> >contracting out all its production should not excuse Nike from
> >responsibility for ensuring that workers' legal rights are respected.
> >
> >You can find the speeches that Ida and Prabowo made in Davos at the
bottom
> >of the following web page: www.evb.ch/nikewatch.htm
> >
> >Please take two minutes to support workers at PT Doson by copying the
text
> >at the end of this email and emailing it to Footlocker, Nike's biggest
> >retailer.
> >
> >*****************************************************
> >2. Nike denies pulling out of Indonesia.
> >
> >One of Oxfam Community Aid Abroad's concerns has been that the closure of
> >the PT Doson factory might have signaled the beginning of a mass
> >relocation of production by Nike and its competitors from Indonesia to
> >countries where independent unions are illegal.
> >
> >In response to questions from ourselves and others, Nike and its main
> >competitors, Reebok and Adidas, have restated their current commitment to
> >staying in Indonesia.
> >
> >On 22 November The Jakarta Post quoted Nike Indonesia's General Manager
> >Jeff DuMont as saying:
> >
> >"Any statement indicating that Nike is significantly reducing orders to
> >Indonesia is incorrect.... Our commitment is demonstrated by our ongoing
> >work with 47 contract footwear, apparel and equipment contract factory
> >groups in Indonesia, which employ over 120,000 people. While business
> >reality and global conditions do impact our business practices, Nike is
> >looking forward to a positive future in Indonesia."
> >
> >We hope this commitment is maintained. Read Oxfam Community Aid Abroad's
> >statement on this at
> www.caa.org.au/campaigns/nike/news/nikeinindonesia.html
> >
> >*****************************************************
> >3. Nike, Adidas in Thailand I: Thai government provides a partial
solution
> >for redundant workers.
> >
> >Workers from another Nike supplier, the Bed and Bath Prestige Company in
> >Bangkok, have also been campaigning to receive their severance pay. The
> >factory closed in October 2002 when the factory's owner disappeared with
> >the company's profits, owing workers both back pay and severance pay.
> >
> >As in the Doson case, Nike and the factory's other buyerswhich included
> >Adidas and Levi'srefused to pay workers their entitlements. Three hundred
> >and fifty of the workers held a three-month live-in protest at the Thai
> >Ministry of Labour Building in Bangkok between November and January,
> >relying on food donations from local markets.
> >
> >In November and December Oxfam Community Aid Abroad staff had the
> >opportunity to meet workers involved in the three-month protest. Their
> >level of organisation was impressive and we were inspired by their
> >determination and courage.
> >
> >Following international support for the workers, including from members
of
> >this list, Nike did meet with the workers. Although Nike was not willing
> >to contribute to paying workers what they were owed, the company did
agree
> >to encourage the Thai government to resolve the issue.
> >
> >On 31 January, the 171 workers still involved in the demonstration agreed
> >to take a package offered by the Thai Ministry of Labour. Excluding
> >emergency assistance, it meant that 30% of workers received 80% of the
> >compensation they should have received by law, 50% received 30% and 20%
> >receive10% of their legal entitlements.
> >
> >  The Thai Labour Campaign, which has been assisting workers in their
> > campaign, has thanked NikeWatch campaigners and other international
> > organisations for their support, which assisted them to achieve this
> > partial victory.
> >
> >The workers have appointed leaders to continue to follow up on their case
> >and to pressure the government to bring their employer to trial. Sixty
> >workers from the factory are in the process of setting up their own
> >garment factory, which they will run as a workers' collective. The Thai
> >Ministry of Labour is lending them money to assist them to do this.
> >
> >*****************************************************
> >4. Nike, Adidas in Thailand II: Workers given amphetamines to help them
> >work through the night.
> >
> >Workers from the Bed and Bath factory described to Oxfam Community Aid
> >Abroad staff the wages and conditions that applied when the factory was
> >running. Those conditions fell well short of the standards outlined in
the
> >codes of conduct of customers such as Nike and Adidas.
> >They described typical working days as being 12 to 13 hours long and said
> >that working hours during peak times could be as high as 110 hours per
> >week.  They reported that it was not unusual during busy times for them
to
> >be expected to work right through the night, for several nights in a row.
> >They described how the owner of the factory put amphetamines in some of
> >their drinking containers, mixed with ice, coke and other soft drinks.
> >Workers were not forced to drink from these containers, but most did so
> >because it was the only way they could work the hours being demanded of
> >them. When taking the drugs workers could work up to 48 hours until they
> >collapsed from exhaustion and needed to rest.
> >Workers were willing to work these hours because they needed the money.
> >The legal daily minimum wage in the Bangkok area is US $3.70, which they
> >reported was too low to meet one person's basic physical needs. Working
12
> >to 17 hour days, workers were able to earn between US$6.90 and US$16.20,
> >money which they needed to meet their basic needs and those of their
> >dependents.
> >There was no opportunity for them to organise and negotiate better
> >conditions. They were constantly monitored by security guards and any one
> >suspected of attempting to form a union was threatened and harassed.
> >All workers were obliged to wear a summary of Nike's code of conduct
> >around their necks, but it did them no good. The factory owner made clear
> >to workers that they would be punished if they complained about working
> >conditions to Nike representatives who visited the factory.
> >The workers' experience provides further evidence that, where a
democratic
> >trade union does not exist in a factory, an effective system for
> >monitoring factory conditions needs to involve confidential worker
> >interviews away from the factory, and confidential and accessible means
> >for workers to send complaints to genuinely independent monitors. Nike
and
> >other transnational corporations should be working with trade unions and
> >credible human rights groups to set up such a system.
> >A detailed account of an Oxfam Community Aid Abroad interview with a
> >worker from the factory can be found at:
> >http://www.caa.org.au/campaigns/nike/reports/lern.html
> >
> >*****************************************************
> >5. Puma in Mexico: Leaving a factory where workers are standing up for
> >their rights.
> >
> >The Mexican labour rights group Centro de Apoyo al Trabajador (CAT)
> >reports that the German Sportswear company Puma has cut its orders to
> >Matamoros Garment, a Mexican garment factory where workers are trying to
> >form an independent union.
> >
> >According to CAT and to the German Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC), recent
> >events include:
> >
> >- 13 January 2003: 190 workers from the factory hold a one-day strike
> >because they have not been paid for three weeks. Other issues at the
> >factory include forced overtime, verbal and physical abuse and illegally
> >low wages.
> >- 16 January: The German Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) contacts Puma
> >regarding the dispute.
> >- 17 January: Puma informs the German CCC that they are looking into the
> >matter.
> >- 18 January: Factory management call together a group of employees and
> >threaten that they will lose their jobs if they do not renounce the
> >independent union, claiming that Puma will cut off orders because of
their
> >decision to organise.
> >- 18 January: Puma removes all their labels from the factory.
> >- 28 January: Puma releases a statement saying that it had decided to
> >terminate the contract on 8 October 2002 due to production delays, not
> >because of the establishment of the new union.
> >- 1 February: Puma's head of Environmental and Social Affairs visits the
> >factory and schedules meetings with all parties.
> >- 12 February: Puma writes to CAT and the German CCC claiming that in
> >recent video-taped interviews with Puma staff, workers from the factory
> >denied that they were ever forced to work overtime or that they were ever
> >subject to verbal or physical abuse. Puma restates its position that its
> >decision to cease orders was due to the factory's current inability to
> >fill orders on time. Puma indicates that it "will consider
re-establishing
> >normal business relationships with the Matamoros Garment factory once
> >matters underscoring the current difficulties are resolved to everyone's
> >satisfaction."
> >- 12 February: CAT replies, questioning Puma's methods of investigation,
> >since workers interviewed in front of a video camera and inside a factory
> >cannot speak honestly about factory conditions for fear of losing their
> >jobs. CAT urges Puma to hold confidential interviews with workers away
> >from the factory in order to discover the truth about factory conditions.
> >
> >CAT and the German CCC are calling for Puma to resume production at this
> >facility and ensure that workers are allowed to form their own union. For
> >more information on this case see the Clean Clothes Campaign website at
> ><www.cleanclothes.org/companies/puma.htm>.
> >
> >The protest email to Footlocker at the end of this email includes
> >reference to this case, please take two minutes to copy and send it.
> >
> >*****************************************************
> >6. Reebok in China: Worker elections in two supplier factories
> >
> >On December 12 the Financial Times reported that worker elections have
> >taken place at two factories supplying Reebok in China. The elections
were
> >arranged at Reebok's request.
> >
> >The Financial Times quoted Doug Cahn of Reebok as saying, "It's our hope
> >that issues can be taken up by the worker representatives. We have
> >inspections of factories, both announced and unannounced. But you just
> >don't have the assurance that things will be the same the next day.
> >Factories in China are incredibly sophisticated at finding ways to fool
> >us. The best monitors are the workers themselves."
> >
> >The Financial Times cited independent observers of one of the elections,
> >Mr Jonathan Unger and Ms Anita Chan, as saying that the newly elected
> >officials may be hampered by their inexperience, their lack of role
models
> >and the high workforce turnover. Nonetheless they see the elections as a
> >big step forward. Mr Unger and Ms Chan are academics based at the
> >Australian National University in Canberra who specialise in labour
> >conditions in China.
> >
> >Monina Wong of the Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee (HKCIC)
> >witnessed both elections. She told the Financial Times that the challenge
> >now for Reebok and the factory management is to respect the elected
> >workers' role as independent representatives of workers' interests. HKCIC
> >has a long and credible history of researching labour issues in China.
> >
> >*****************************************************
> >7. Campaign breakthrough in Australia: 34 companies sign retailers code.
> >
> >In November last year we reported that the Australian Retailers
> >Association had signed a new Retailer Code with the Textile Clothing and
> >Footwear Union of Australia, covering the production of clothes made in
> >Australia. At that stage it wasn't clear how many individual retailers
> >would sign onto the code.
> >
> >We are pleased to report that 34 retailers have now signed the code,
> >including Myer/Grace Bros, Kmart, Target, Cue, David Jones and Big W.
> >
> >Retailers who sign on to the Code commit to a much higher level of
> >transparency regarding their whole supply chain through to those who
> >actually make their Australian-made clothes.  In some cases the retailers
> >must also provide the union with information on the price they paid. The
> >Code also assists the union to take steps to ensure that workers who make
> >those clothes are paid decent wages and have decent conditions.
> >
> >Fair Wear is encouraging Australians to buy from retailers that have
> >signed the code. Check out Fair Wear's website at
> >www.awatw.org.au/fairwear/news/wheretoshop.html for a list of those
> >companies. Note that at this stage the Code only applies to clothes made
> >in Australia.
> >
> >*****************************************************
> >8. Oxfam Campaign Update: War in Iraq would be a humanitarian disaster.
> >
> >NikeWatch is part of Oxfam Community Aid Abroad's wider campaign and
> >advocacy work. Oxfam believes that military action on Iraq could trigger
a
> >major humanitarian crisis, jeopardising the lives of millions of women,
> >children and men who are already suffering from a lack of food and access
> >to clean water. See Oxfam Community Aid Abroad's site - www.caa.org.au -
> >for details of Oxfam's policy on war with Iraq.
> >
> >*****************************************************
> >9. Send a protest email to Footlocker, Nike's biggest retailer.
> >
> >Please copy or adapt the text below and email it to the following email
> >addresses: customer_service at footlocker.com, help at footlocker-europe.com
> >
> >Please cc the email to: timc at sydney.caa.org.au,
> >continuous.improvement at nike.com
> >
> >Mr. Matthew D. Serra
> >President and Chief Executive Officer
> >  Footlocker Inc.
> >
> >Dear Mr. Matthew D. Serra,
> >
> >As your company is one of the world's largest sportswear retailers, I am
> >writing to urgently seek your support for workers from two sportswear
> >factories. One was in Indonesia, the other is in Mexico.
> >
> >The PT Doson factory in Indonesia produced sportshoes for Nike for eleven
> >and a half years. In September 2002 Nike stopped ordering from the
factory
> >and it closed, putting 7,000 people out of work.
> >
> >The factory's owner is refusing to pay workers the severance pay required
> >by the Indonesian government. The workers have taken the factory to
court,
> >but the case could take up to two years to complete. Meanwhile workers
are
> >living off credit while they seek other work. Press reports indicate that
> >many of the workers are going hungry, with meals consisting of little
more
> >than rice with salt.
> >
> >Please urgently call Nike's attention to this case and urge the company
to
> >pay workers what they are owed. Nike's system of contracting out all its
> >production should not excuse Nike from responsibility for ensuring that
> >the legal rights of the workers who make its goods are respected. This
> >includes their right to severance pay when a factory closes, particular
> >when the factory closes as a result of Nike cutting its orders.
> >
> >Puma was a customer at the Matamoros Garment factory in Mexico from July
> >2002 until January 2003. A Mexican labour rights group reports that
> >conditions at the factory were poor, including illegally low wages,
forced
> >overtime and verbal abuse.  Puma recently ceased ordering from the
> >factory, just as workers started to establish an independent union.
> >
> >According to Puma this was because the factory is currently unable to
meet
> >production deadlines. The factory owner has told workers that Puma left
> >because the workers organised a union and held a short strike for better
> >wages and conditions.
> >
> >Genuine respect and promotion of workers' right to form and join
> >democratic trade unions is the most powerful way that companies can
> >prevent exploitation in the production of their goods.
> >
> >Please urge Puma to restart ordering from the Matamoros Garment factory
> >and to work with the factory to ensure that workers' trade union rights
> >are respected.
> >
> >As a major sportswear retailer your company has considerable influence
> >over Nike, Puma and other sportswear companies. Consumers do not want to
> >buy goods made in sweatshops. I look forward to hearing that you have
used
> >your influence to persuade these companies to do the right thing in these
> >cases.
> >
> >Sincerely,
> >
> >
> >***********************************************************
> >Thanks to Elizabeth Saunders for her assistance in preparing this update!
> >***********************************************************
> >
> >Tim Connor
> >Coordinator, NikeWatch
> >Oxfam Community Aid Abroad
> >Level 3, 25 Coopers Street
> >Surry Hills NSW 2010, AUSTRALIA
> >Phone: 61 (0)2 9387 5410        Fax: 61 (0)2 9280 3426
> >Mobile: 61 (0)403 339 578
> >NikeWatch Site - http://www.caa.org.au/campaigns/nike/
> >
> >
> >Tim Connor
> >Phone: 61 (0)403 339 578
> >
> >
> >
> >---------------------------------------------------------------------
> >The NIKEWATCH-UPDATES mailing list.
> >
> >This list receives quarterly updates about the international campaign to
> >stop the exploitation of workers making Nikes.
> >To unsubscribe, e-mail: nikewatch-updates-unsubscribe at lists.caa.org.au
> >For additional commands, e-mail: nikewatch-updates-help at lists.caa.org.au
> >
> >If you'd rather more information, the NIKEWATCH-NEWS list receives
> >campaign news every month.
> >To subscribe, email <nikewatch-news-subscribe at lists.caa.org.au>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >Tim Connor
> >Phone: 61 (0)403 339 578
> >
> >
>
>
> Clean Clothes Campaign
> PO Box 11584
> 1001 GN Amsterdam
> The Netherlands
> tel: + 31 20 4122785
> fax: + 31 20 4122786
> e-mail:ccc at xs4all.nl
> http://www.cleanclothes.org
>
>
>