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Support Thai garment workers -urgent appeal

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Clean Clothes Campaign

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Oct 15, 1996, 3:00:00 AM10/15/96

Urgent appeal to support Thai garment workers

The workers of the Eden-group in Thailand are having a conflict with
their management. We hope you want to support the workers and sign the
attached protestletter. You can also visit:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~ccc/edenprt.htm

On this page you can sign the protestletter. The Dutch Clean Clothes
Campaign is collecting the signatures and will send them to the
management of the Eden group, the Prime Minister of Thailand, and the
Embassy or consulate of Thailand in the Netherlands and to sales
offices and retailers.

In 1991 the company began subcontracting operations out to home-based
workers, shortly after the formation of a labour union. Within a few
years of introducing subcontracting
system, about 4000 were laid off. From the original 4500 workers,
right now only 300 women workers
remain working at the plant by September 1996. September 14th they
sacked again 345 workers, most
of them union members.

It might be good to know that the International Textile, Garment and
eather Workers Federation (ITGLWF) launched a campaign in the
beginning of october stating that "Bangkok's Fashionwear Limited (the
Eden Group) has 14 days to come to its senses and act reponsibly". If
they don't the ITGLWf will demand that the Walt Disney Company revoke
all licensing agreements with the company and they will simultaneously
launch a worldwide offensive aimed at allerting both retailers and
consumers to the unacceptable behaviour of this company's operations
in Thailand. Please ask ITGLWF-related unions in your country to join
the campaign!

The company's address is:

Eden Group Fashion Ware Ltd.
10 K Vipawadeerangsit Rd
Bang Ken Donmoung
Bangkok 10210 Thailand
Tel: (662) 552 3707
Fax: (662) 552 2103 & 5511651

This is the address of the Prime Minister:

The Prime Minister
Government House
Nakon Pathon House
Dusit, Bangkok, 10300
Thailand

The Eden Group is delivering to a broad custumersbase. We do know that
mail order houses are very important. They produce under license and
have their own brand of labels. They have a license for the production
of Disney Caracter Garments for Europe (see also list of brand names).

List of buyers (October 1995):
C&A, OTTO, Quelle, Metro, Kaufhalle, Kaufhof, Wenz, Karstadt,
Neckermann, Ahlens, Halens, Stockmann, Horten, Hertie, Versandhaus
Klingel, Kaufring, La Redoute, 3 Suisses, Kiabi, Monoprix, Smei,
Woolworth, Overseas Corp., Migros, Charles Fogele, ABM, Postalmarket,
Vestro, Standa (Grupo Fininvest), Grobversandhaus Schopflin, Upim
(Grupo Rinascente), El Corte, Ingles, Venca, K&O, Modenmuller
(Versandhandelsges), Universal, Littlewoods, Texplant, Gratan

For further information and messages of support for the Eden workers
contact:

Aranya Pakapath
Center for Information Service and Training (CLIST)
273/51 Soi Pongpetchnivet
Prachachuen Road
Ladyao
Chatuchak Bangkok 10900
Thailand
email: tie...@ksc8.th.com

or:

Clean Clothes Campaign Holland
van Ostadestraat 233b
1073 TN Amsterdam
Phone: +31 20 6796325
Fax: +31 20 6730595
email: c...@xs4all.nl

This is a sample of a protestletter:

Dear Sir,

We want to draw your attention on the working conditions and labour
conflicts in the Eden Group,
Thailand:

The Eden group is a TNC operating in Bangkok, Thailand, under the
ownership of Adam Lisowski. It has
produced garments for export to Italy, Austria, Germany, Hong Kong,
Switserland, France, Sweden, Spain,
United Kingdom, United States and Japan since 1981. Their brand names
are as follows: American wear,
Michel Adam, Bugs Bunny Americanwear, Loonie Tunes Americanwear,
Mickey Mouse Americanwear,
Mtv's Beavis & Butthead, Blowout, Lemongrass Natural Concept, Power
rangers, Sindy, Casper, Club
Vouge, essy Fizzy, Aladin. In 1991 the company began subcontracting
operations out to home-based
workers, shortly after the formation of a labour union. Within a few
years of introducing subcontracting
system, about 4000 were laid off. From the original 4500 workers,
right now only 300 women workers
remain working at the plant by September 1996. September 14th they
sacked again 345 workers, most
of them union members.

The lists of incidents is very long, down here we will give the last
incidents:

* In February 1996, the Eden Group tried to force 52 women workers to
go on working for a sweat shop,
which the women refused. The union discovered that the company planned
to sack the workers without
paying compensation by transferring them to a subcontracter.
* In February 1996 the company announced that they were planning to
dismiss 1400 workers, paying them
three months compensation which is less than required by Thai labour
laws. After a long period of protests
by the union and the workers, a lot of international pressure and
intervention by the Government; the
company agreed on paying 10 months compensation to those who wanted to
resign. They also promised
not to dismiss anymore workers.
* In March 1996, 169 women workers were sacked without compensation,
union officials were transferred
to do cleaning work in the factory toilets, and women workers were
abused by management, saying thta
they were prostitutes.
* After calls from the union, an official of the Labour Ministry came
to the factory inspecting on safety and
health conditions. The official gave the company 15 days to make
improvements such as placing fire
extinguishers and establish a safety committee in the workplace. The
company responded angrily and
refused to undertake work to improve conditions.
* In August 1996 workers were not permitted to enter the sewing
sections of the factories; works were not
provided to workers and the company failed to pay August wages to 345
of the remaining 650 workers.
* September 14th, 1996 345 workers were sacked. In this last case, the
union demands from the company
that they pay 15 months compensation as all workers recently sacked
will have difficulties to find other
work because of their age. Up till now the company only agreed to pay
for 7 months compensation.

As stated by Neil Kearney, General Secretary of the International
Textile, Garment and Leather Workers'
Federation, "Workers at Fashion Wear (Eden Group) have been treated
appallingly. Used and abused in
past years they are now dumped by the company as it searches out even
more exploitable labour. On its
own this is unacceptable. When acompanied by a total disregard of the
law regarding notice of dismissal
and compensation, it is reprehensible. On top of this the company's
refusal to negotiate with the workers'
trade union is an insult not only to its workforce but also to the
Thai nation."

The union and the workers of the Eden Group factories are demanding
the following:
* A voluntary resignation program with 15 months compensation for
those who are older then 30 years and
worked for many years in the factory and 10 months compensation for
those under 30 years.
* A social security system for unemployed provided by the government
of Thailand.
* Withdraw trading privileges which the company receives under
Thailand Board of Investments.

The Clean Clothes Campaign aims at improving working conditions in the
garment industry world wide.
We support Eden Group workers in their demands to company management
and Thai government. We,
as our member organisations and a lot of consumers in Europe, feel
that retailers and sales offices of
garments should take their responsability regarding labour conditions
in the garment industry. Each
garment company has a responsability to ensure that the garments they
sell are made under conditions
that do not violate basic workers rights. Therefor we strongly urge
you to take steps ensuring that the Eden
Group management negotiates with their workers and union. Also, the
subcontracting practices of the Eden
group and their attempt to destroy workers unity must stop in order to
garantee fair standards on working
conditions.

We are very interested to know your response to our letter. We would
like to know the steps you have
taken to stop labour conflicts in Thailand in favour of the persons
who are making your garments since
a long time. We do not aim to damage the good name of your company in
Europe, nor damage your
trading opportunities. We want to state however that consumers in
Europe get more and more conscious
of how products are produced. European consumers are not longer
willing to buy products which are
manufactured under exploitative working conditions.

With regards,

........

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