[WAC news alert] Eight US apparel companies and retail giant signed follow up letter and expressed their concern anew on recent violent attacks of strikers at Chong Won Fashion, Inc. in CEPZ

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Workers' Assistance Center

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Aug 11, 2007, 10:58:06 AM8/11/07

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Eight US apparel companies and retail giant signed follow up letter
and expressed their concern anew on recent violent attacks of strikers
at Chong Won Fashion, Inc. in CEPZ

Eights US Apparel companies and retailer giant such as Walmart,
American Eagle Outfitters, GAP, Jones Apparel Group, Liz Claiborne,
Philiips-Van Heusen, VF Corporation, and Polo Ralph Lauren has sent a
second letter of conern following the recent violent attacks of
strkers at Chong Won Fashion Inc. (now C. Woo Trading) in Cavite
Export Processing, Rosario, Cavite last June 10 and 11.

The strikers at Chong Won had been violently attacked by armed and
bonnet-masked men on two succeeding periods at 8:30 in the evening of
June 10 and 3:30 AM of June 11.

The letter stated that "as companies that source apparel products in
the Philippines , we are writing to follow up on a letter of November
7, 2006, wherein the signatory companies, including many of the
signatories to this letter, expressed their concern about disturbing
reports of violence and threats of violence against human and labor
rights promoters, labor leaders, and workers and the alleged negative
role of the Municipal and Export Processing Zone police in such
attacks and assaults."

It may be recalled that the joint letter of these US apparel companies
on November 7, 2006 had sparked the succeeding stronger calls of the
Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce (JFC) for Arroyo to Stop Political
Killings last November 14, 2006.

Rev. Fr. Jose P. Dizon, executive director of the Workers Assistance
Center, Inc. (WAC) have said that it is about time that President
Arroyo and her government heed this call against the on-going labor
and human rights violations seriously and finally have the will to
resolve this once and for all.

He lamented that it has been nine months since the first letter of
these big US Apparel companies have been sent and received by
President Arroyo but their call seemed to have fallen on deaf ears
as human and labor rights violations continue to happen under this
government.

The last violent attack on the Chong Won strikers had been very
traumatic for the workers, he further said. "Until now, we are still
helping some of these workers seek medical help because of a post-
traumatic syndrome illness they have suffred."

Furthermore, he said that almost all international human rights
organizations, human rights supporters and advocates and even
international lawmakers including US lawmakers have joined the
swelling ranks of those condemning the current infamy and flagrant
human rights violations happening with impunity in the country.

"We will not stop calling the Arroyo government to stop all these
violence and political killings and we will not stop in our continued
call for the support of every freedom-loving and human and labor
rights advocates and supporters of the world, " Dizon explained.

In closing the joint-letter of the big US apparel companies have said
that "it is imperative that companies doing business in the
Philippines remain confident in the government's commitment to freedom
of expression, freedom of association and the rule of law."

The signatories to the letter are Guy D. Bradford, vice-president for
Corporate Social Responsibility and Customs Compliance Officer of
American Eagle Outfitters; Dan Henkle, senior vice-president of Social
Responsibility of Gap, Inc.; Laura Wittman, vice-president of
compliance and human rights of Jones Apparel Group; Daryl Brown, vice
president of Business Ethics and Compliance of Liz Claiborne; Marcela
Manubens, vice president of Global Human Rights & Social
Responsibility Programs of Phillips-Van Heusen; David Uricioli, senior
director of Global Human Rights Compliance of Polo Ralph Lauren; Ron
Martin, director of Social Compliance of VF Corporation; and Rajan
Kamalanathan, director of Compliance, Global Procurement of Walmart.

Aside from President Arroyo, it was also addressed to Atty. Lilia De
Lima of Philippine Economic Zone Authority; Arturo Brion, Secretry of
Department of Labor and Employment; Purificacion Quisumbing of
Commission on Human Rights; and Mr. Yong Ryul Kim, President of Chong
Won Fashion, Inc.