INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-INDONESIA:

LUXURY BRANDS AND HORRIBLE CONDITIONS:

The following call for solidarity is from the international Clean Clothes Campaign. It's about conditions in an Indonesian factory where luxury clothes are made for fashion giants Polo Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger.

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Luxury fashion brands leave Indonesian workers in the cold:
Polo Ralph Lauren, the upmarket US-based fashion giant, continues to ignore union repression and bad working conditions at one of its suppliers in Indonesia, the Mulia Knitting Factory near to Jakarta. The fashion house simply refuses to respond to the plight of workers who produce its garments.

Tommy Hilfiger, another buyer at the same clothing factory, has claimed that they have discussed the problems with the supplier, but the company has yet to take decisive action.

Following the establishment of the factory union SBGTS-GSBI in May 2007, the management of the Mulia Knitting Factory (MKF) organised a campaign to destroy the union by forcing all of its founding members to resign from the union or be removed from the factory. Unsafe and bad working conditions in the factory make the issue of workers' representation all the more urgent.

Although the national umbrella organisation GSBI has now managed to open up a direct dialogue with the MKF management, the latter remains unwilling to discuss matters related to freedom of association.

Support these Indonesian workers in their struggle. Send letters to Polo Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger today and forward this message to your friends. Your actions will make a difference! Take action now!

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BACKGROUND

The CCC and its allies in Indonesia and in the US have undertaken intensive efforts to set up constructive dialogues with MKF's foreign buyers to support a solution to the problems at the clothing factory. Indonesian law, international labour standards and the fashion brands’ own codes of conduct protect the workers’ rights to form and join a union. But Polo Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger have done nothing to demonstrate that there is substance behind the claims in their codes.

Despite seven letters from the CCC and our allies and repeated phone calls, Polo Ralph Lauren's corporate social responsibility manager has refused to discuss the problems at MKF. Unfortunately, this is common practise for the designer of lavish lifestyle(this is a total aside- but I've always hated this word from the first time I heard it-Molly) products.

Although Polo Ralph Lauren actively promotes charities and philanthropic programmes, it refuses to mainstream ethical trade principles in its day-to-day operations. The company has been the defendant in a number of court cases involving discrimination and violations of labour rights.

After dragging its feet, Tommy Hilfiger now says it is committed to solving the problems in its supply chain. However, after more then six months, its efforts have not yielded any concrete results. This raises serious questions about Tommy Hilfiger's commitment to uphold the values laid down in their corporate Code of Conduct.

Support these Indonesian workers in their struggle. Send letters to Polo Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger today and forward this message to your friends. Your actions will make a difference!
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THE LETTERS:

Please go to THIS LINK to send the following letters to Polo Ralph lauren and Tommy Hilfiger.

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To Polo Ralph Lauren's CEO and its Senior Director of Global Compliance.

Dear Sir,

I have learned that workers at one of your suppliers, PT Mulia Knitting Factory (MKF) in Indonesia, have been denied their right to freedom of association. Founders and members of the SBGTS-GSBI workers' union, established at the factory in May 2007, have been forced to resign from the union or be removed from the factory.

Unsafe and bad working conditions in the factory make the issue of workers' representation all the more urgent.

As you know, with today's globalised production patterns, manufacturers and retailers who order their goods from suppliers worldwide are increasingly aware of their overall supply-chain responsibilities.

In this framework, I urge you to make sure that Polo Ralph Lauren does everything in its power to address the problems at your Indonesian supplier.

Specifically I urge you to use your influence and assure that MKF:

1 - offers immediate reinstatement to all workers who were wrongfully dismissed or transferred because of their refusal to disassociate themselves from SBGTS-GSBI. The reinstatement should include compensation for salary arrears since the date of their dismissal or transfer. The workers should be reemployed at their previous positions in the factory with no loss of seniority and no reduction in salary;

2 - respects the right of their workers to Freedom of Association, and issues a statement to the work force, verbally and in writing,stating that the factory will respect the rights of workers join any organisation of their choosing, be it an NGO or a labour union, and that no worker will be fired, demoted, transferred or the subject of retaliation of any other kind for the decision that he or she makes. In that statement, the MKF management must clarify that the legally registered SBGTS-GSBI union is considered a legitimate entity.

Rather than denying the CCC any chance at communication, I further urge you to see the Campaign as a possible partner, that has specific expertise in matters relating to worker rights and working conditions in the global textiles supply chains. Fashion companies that show a real willingness to respect the rights of the individuals who produce their clothes can count on the support and collaboration of the CCC in designing and implementing pragmatic solutions.

Hoping for your cooperation in bringing these matters to a swift resolution,

Yours sincerely,

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To Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Social responsibility managers in Europe and the US

Dear Madam, Sir,

I understand from information provided by the Clean Clothes Campaign that Tommy Hilfiger has dragged its feet rather than decisively acting on reports of serious labour-rights violations at one of your suppliers, PT Mulia Knitting Factory (MKF) in Indonesia.

Despite months of communications with the CCC, and despite Tommy Hilfiger's stated commitment to solving the problems at their supplier, your apparent efforts has not lead to any concrete results in the factory.

I have learned that workers at the factory have been denied their right to Freedom of Association. Founders and members of the SBGTS-GSBI workers' union, established at the factory in May 2007, have been forced to resign from the union or be removed from the factory.

Unsafe and bad working conditions in the factory make the issue of workers' representation all the more urgent.

As you know, with today's globalised production patterns, manufacturers and retailers who order their goods from suppliers worldwide are increasingly aware of their overall supply-chain responsibilities.

In this framework, I urge you to make sure that Tommy Hilfiger does everything in its power to address the problems at your Indonesian supplier.

Specifically I urge you to use your influence and assure that MKF:

1 - offers immediate reinstatement to all workers who were wrongfully dismissed or transferred because of their refusal to disassociate themselves from SBGTS-GSBI. The reinstatement should include compensation for salary arrears since the date of their dismissal or transfer. The workers should be reemployed at their previous positions in the factory with no loss of seniority and no reduction in salary;

2 - respects the right of their workers to Freedom of Association, and issues a statement to the work force, verbally and in writing,stating that the factory will respect the rights of workers join any organisation of their choosing, be it an NGO or a labour union, and that no worker will be fired, demoted, transferred or the subject of retaliation of any other kind for the decision that he or she makes. In that statement, the MKF management must clarify that the legally registered SBGTS-GSBI union is considered a legitimate entity.

Hoping for your cooperation in bringing these matters to a swift resolution,

Yours sincerely,

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A LITTLE MOLLY ADDENDUM:

I doubt that I have ever entered any of the stores mentioned above. If I have seen them it is probable that I walked or drove faster to get past them. This, however, brings up the question of what happens to the "remainders" from the manufacturers who via slave labour supply these so-called quality luxury clothes. Quite frankly I wouldn't be surprised if the left-overs ended up at dollar stores throughout the world (Winnipeg is the world's capital of such outlets). The same stuff at 1/50th the price. It would be amusing to find out if this was true. For all I know I'm walking around with a "Tommy Lauren" set of undergitch as we speak. Bow down before my fashion sense.

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-INDONESIA:

HELP INDONESIA WORKERS FIRED FOR ORGANIZING AGAINST SEX DISCRIMINATION:

The following appeal is from the Clean Clothes Campaign, an international alliance for the improvement of working conditions in the garment industry.

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Polo Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger Supplier Sacks 19 Workers for Organising Against Sex Discrimination:

Join the Indonesian workers in their struggle to change the garment industry in Indonesia, and give them your support in this case.

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Over a year ago, 26 workers at the PT Mulia Knitting Factory in Jakarta, Indonesia formed a union to fight the factory's violation of their rights. The factory reportedly refused to pay female workers their pregnancy and miscarriage leave and failed to offer transportation for female workers after the night shift. In addition, the factory had failed to pay mandatory health and pension benefits, often did not provide adequate safety equipment and kept workers on precarious, temporary contracts.

As soon as the union leaders announced the formation of the SBGTS union to the factory management, the union president was suspended and three other union officials dismissed. Fifteen other union officials and members were called into the office, and given the choice between renouncing the union or being transferred to another factory, PT Spindo Mills, located 60 kilometers away. Although all workers kept reporting to the factory gates of PT Mulia Knitting Factory in the mornings, they were dismissed for not showing up at PT Spindo Mills. At the same time, the factory filed cases against the union for using the address of the factory in the union's letterhead (a common practice in Indonesia) and tried to make the Labour Ministry revoke the SBGTS official register number.

Since then, the union has been fighting for reinstatement and filed cases with the Labour Ministry and the Indonesian National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) to defend the right to freedom of association. On April 7, 2008 the Commission issued its recommendations after having met with both the union and PT MKF management, concluding that the union rights of the 19 workers who were dismissed after joining SBGTS had been violated. But when the union called on the local labour department to follow up on this recommendation, the local authorities, who are notoriously corrupt, disregarded the Commission's ruling and ruled in favour of the company. See also http://www.workersrights.org/ for the detailed Worker Rights Consortium's report of the violations at PT MKF.

Since the negative outcome of the local labour department's mediation, the situation remains in a deadlock. The company refuses to meet with the union and instead has sent its lawyers firm to deal with the severance payment for all the nineteen dismissed workers.

The CCC has contacted the buyers of the factory and requested their joint action in support of the freedom of association. While one of the buyers, Phillips van Heusen, has pushed for reinstatement of the 19 workers, and tried to get the other buyers on board, Tommy Hilfiger and Polo Rauph Lauren have sat idly by while the 19 workers struggle to feed their families. Polo Ralph Lauren has never responded to CCC. Tommy Hilfiger informed the CCC that it had conducted an audit in January 2008, but it refrained from speaking to the workers involved and instead only consulted the management-backed union, SPSI. Tommy Hilfiger refused to take any follow-up action to date.

Unfortunately this case stands not on his own, and time and again, urgent cases of labour violations in Indonesia reveal the abuse of short-term labour contracts and the pervasive infringement on workers' freedom of association, their right to organize and bargain collectively. The Clean Clothes Campaign and Oxfam Australia call on all brands sourcing from Indonesia, and in particular Tommy Hilfiger and Polo Ralph Lauren, to implement sector-wide solutions to ensure that workers in Indonesia are guaranteed their rights and are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve. See "Sector-Wide Solutions for the Sports Shoe and Apparel Industry in Indonesia."

Join the Indonesian workers in their struggle to change the garment industry in Indonesia, and give them your support in this case by writing to Tommy Hilfiger and Polo Ralph Lauren to ensure that their supplier:
***Immediately reinstates the 19 workers at their previous positions (including rights and length of service) with payment of the outstanding wages and social premiums since the date of dismissal/suspension/transfer.
***Respects the right to freedom of association and recognizes SBGTS-GSBI as one of the unions at PT MKF, including respecting the rights of SBGTS-GSBI to organize members within the factory. Intimidation and criminalisation of PT MKF workers who are willing to join the SBGTS-GSBI union should be ceased immediately.
***Proactively adopts and posts a "Freedom of Association Policy" for all their facilities, which includes the statement that management will not use transfers/ demotions/ or promotions as a means to deter a worker from affiliating and/or participating in the union of their choice.
***Meets in person with SBGTS-GSBI to resolve the outstanding labour issues
***Pays wages to the 19 dismissed workers while the legal process runs its course.
Sample letter

Please go to THIS LINK to send the following letter to the corporate executives named below...
Polo Ralph Lauren

David Uricoli , Senior Director of Global Compliance

E-mail: duricoli@poloralphlauren.com
Tommy Hilfiger

Anouk von Meyenfeldt , VP/General Counsel

Email: compliance@tommy.com
Dear
I want to express my deep concern about the dismissal of 19 union members at your supplier PT Mulia Knitting Factory in May 2007. The Clean Clothes Campaign has informed me that those workers were suspended, transferred and dismissed immediately after they announced the formation of their union. This infringement of their right to Freedom of Association is not only a clear violation of the Indonesian labour law, but also of your company's code of conduct and ILO labour standards.I therefore urge you to immediately call upon your supplier, and ensure:
***the immediate reinstatement of the 19 union members with payment of the outstanding wages since the date of dismissal, suspension and or transfer ;
***full compliance with the workers' right to freedom of association and recognition of the union SBGTS, including a public statement that PT MKF will not use transfers/ demotions/ or promotions as a means to deter a worker from affiliating and/or participating in the union of their choice.
***a meeting in person with SBGTS to resolve outstanding labour issues. payment of wages to the 19 dismissed workers while the legal process runs its course.

Sincerely yours,