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Press Releases
| Lingerie Giant Triumph Sacks Workers to Get Rid of Unions |
| Thursday, 03 December 2009 14:21 |
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Philippine and Thai unions file OECD complaint in Switzerland CCC Press release (Amsterdam) Today two Triumph unions filed an OECD complaint against the Swiss multinational Triumph International for laying off thousands of workers at its unionised factories in Thailand and the Philippines. Triumph International, one of world’s leading lingerie manufacturers, failed to enter negotiations with the unions involved, and therefore violates the OECD guidelines for multinational enterprises as well as ILO convention 158. In the complaint, the unions reveal a hidden agenda of Triumph to get rid of its most outspoken workforce in both countries. Since July this year, when Triumph announced the retrenchments of 1935 workers in Thailand and 1660 workers in the Philippines, more than a thousand workers in both countries have been picketing the factories and the Ministry of Labour in Thailand. “We demand the immediate reinstatement of the workers,” said Isabelita dela Cruz, President of the New Unity of Workers in Triumph International (BPMTI), “in addition to a guarantee that Triumph’s global restructuring plan does not result in massive retrenchments and relocation of Triumph workers worldwide, depriving workers of their union rights.” “Although Triumph cites the global recession as a reason for downscaling production, it has over the last years expanded production in a non-unionised factory in Northern Thailand,” says Jittra Cotshadet, consultant of the Triumph International Thailand Labour Union (TITLU). Ms. Cotshadet, former president of TITLU, was sacked last year by Triumph for her appearance on national television defending the right to freedom of expression. In the Philippines, Triumph sought to outsource production work to non-unionised workers. The Thai Triumph workers have not been paid separation payment as required by law and their collective bargaining agreement. The coming weeks representatives of the unions are touring Europe, and will visit Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Denmark and Belgium to participate in debates and public actions. On December 2nd they protested outside the Swiss Triumph headquarters after their request for a meeting with CEO and owner Markus Spiesshofer was declined. While in Europe, the Triumph International Thailand Labor Union will also use this opportunity to promote the underwear produced under their own label at a make-shift factory at the grounds of the Ministry of Labour. This way the workers want to demonstrate their skills and determination to continue their protest. |
