US Retail Giants Urge Arroyo To Protect Human, Labor Rights
From Philippines Daily Inquirer:
In the latest broadside against the Philippine government’s rights record, seven major American retail outfits that source garments from the Philippines have written President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo calling for more “proactive measures” to protect human and labor rights and right advocates.
The November 7 letter, a copy of which was obtained by INQ7.net, was written in the wake of reports about “violent attacks on striking workers and the assaults and killings of labor rights promoters,” particularly in the Cavite Export Processing Zone.
Read the rest of this story ...
Posted by Vasudha Desikan on Monday, March 05 | 0 comments | Permalink
Workers’ Rights And Garment Labels
From Philippines Daily Inquirer:
“SR. STELLA L.,” a 1984 multi-awarded Mike de Leon-Pete Lacaba film, was on cable TV a few nights ago. While watching it I recalled the hot afternoon we spent at a location where several strike scenes in that movie were shot. A bunch of us women journalists were there as extras shouting “Welga! Welga!” ["Strike! Strike!"] We did it for free.
The shooting was in an old bodega-like place that was made to look like a cooking oil factory.
Read the rest of this story ...
Posted by Vasudha Desikan on Monday, March 05 | 0 comments | Permalink
Philippines: Workers Left Hanging As Wal-Mart Stalls
From LabourStart:
Three months after receiving reports of serious worker rights abuses and police violence against protesting workers at its Chong Won Fashion supply factory in the Philippines, Wal-Mart is still delaying taking the necessary steps to fix the problem.
As the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC) prepares to release a public report on the findings of its investigation into the alleged abuses, Wal-Mart has announced it is contracting the US monitoring organization Verité to do yet another third-party investigation, which, conveniently, would not be completed until the end of the holiday shopping season.
Read the rest of this story ...
Posted by Vasudha Desikan on Monday, March 05 | 0 comments | Permalink
FT: Wal-Mart faces Manila labour challenge
From the Financial Times:
Wal-Mart is being accused of failing to respond to anti-union violence at one of its supplier’s factories in the Philippines, in a case that could undermine its drive to improve its reputation on a range of social and environmental issues.
The Worker Rights Consortium, a group backed by leading US universities, says the retailer has “failed to do anything to correct severe violations” at the Chong Won Fashion factory outside Manila, which produces clothing for One Step Up, a Wal-Mart supplier.
The Maquila Solidarity Network, which has been involved in dialogue with the retailer over supply-chain conditions, has also accused the company of “delaying taking the necessary steps” to fix the problems at Chong Won.
The WRC launched a detailed investigation into conditions at the factory in November, after its management dismissed 116 striking workers.
Its 49-page report details violence and intimidation used against workers who went on strike in a bid to force the management to bargain with their union. The union had been overwhelming approved in a vote and recognised by the Philippines’ department of labour.
Both the WRC and the MSN have attacked Wal-Mart’s decision to launch a new investigation into the union dispute at the factory by Verité, a respected not-for-profit monitoring group.
Read the rest of this story ...
Posted by Russ Fagaly on Friday, March 02 | 0 comments | Permalink
U.S. Group Says Factory Wal-Mart Uses Abuses Workers
From Reuters:
A U.S. watchdog group has called on Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to put a stop to what it says is worker abuse at a factory in the Philippines that makes apparel for the retailer.
The Worker Rights Consortium said the Chong Won factory, which primarily makes clothing for Wal-Mart supplier One Step Up, has engaged in labor rights violations including forced overtime and minimum wage violations. The WRC has 167 U.S. college and university affiliates.
It also accused the factory’s management of colluding with government agents in violence against striking workers.
The group said it was basing its charges on an on-site investigation from October 28 to November 2, and said it notified Wal-Mart in November.
Wal-Mart has the power to compel Chong Won to halt the violent assaults on lawfully striking workers, offer reinstatement to those workers who have been unlawfully dismissed, and recognize the union and begin bargaining,” the WRC said in a report.
Wal-Mart did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
The WRC said Chong Won has produced casual apparel for a number of brands and retailers, including university licensees. But it said that since mid-2006, all of Chong Won’s production has been for Wal-Mart.
- Click here (PDF) to read the Worker Rights Consortium’s report.
- Click here to learn more about Wal-Mart’s supplier relationships.
Posted by Russ Fagaly on Wednesday, February 21 | 17 comments | Permalink
View Wal-Mart Watch's videos on YouTube