Dear Friends,

Here is a brief update on the situation of Ladybird since workers have returned to work...

The good news is that all 77 locked out workers have returned to work without repercussions and there is now a contract!

Unfortunately, however, the employer has thus failed to keep his end of the bargain in implementing agreed upon provisions in the contract. While the employer has added agreed upon transportation in the morning, he has not done so in the evening and workers are still crowded into the company vehicles and have to stand for the ride. There is still no nurse in the factory (legally required and in the contract) and there has been talk of the employer sending a worker for a week long nursing course to satisfy this agreement. This is unacceptable to the workers since a professional nurse in Thailand must complete 4 years of education.

Union members have still not been allowed to work overtime, despite the employer's pledge that there would be no more discrimination and that the company would pursue good relations with the union from now on. Union members are kept separated from non-union members in the factory to discourage organizing and workers describe an overall unpleasant work environment. Non-union members tell the union that they are still afraid to affiliate because of repercussions like the loss of overtime work.

Ladybird workers are asking their international friends to continue to contact the buyers (Guess, Gymboree, PreNatal and TJ Max and Marshalls) to let them know that while they are very pleased to be working again and quite happy with their contract, they need it to be implemented and most importantly, for the union discrimination to end. Again, the workers don't want the buyers to withdraw orders, but to urge the company to allow union members the same rights as other employees and to forge a good, working relationship with the union.

Contact the following companies producing at Ladybird:

Gymboree
Chairman
Stuart G. Moldaw
700 Airport Blvd., Ste. 200
Burlingame, CA 94010-1912
Phone: +1-650-579-0600
Fax: +1-650-579-1733

Guess
Co-Chairman and Co-CEO Maurice Marciano
Co-Chairman and Co-CEO Paul Marciano
1444 S. Alameda St.
Los Angeles, CA 90021
Phone: +1-213-765-3100
Fax: +1-213-744-7838

TJX Companies (owns TJ Max and Marshalls)
Chairman
Bernard Cammarata
770 Cochituate Rd.
Framingham, MA 01701
Phone: +1-508-390-1000
Fax: +1-508-390-2828

Prenatal SA
29 Botanica
08908 Hospitalet de Llobregat
Barcelona
Spain
Phone: +34-83-3355906
Fax: +34-83-335-2804

Prenatal GMBH
Oskar-Jagerstrasse 176
60825 Cologne
Germany
Phone: +49-221-548010
(note: Prenatal in Spain and Germany are is owned by Prenatal Italia, which
is owned by Artsana)

Dario Pasquale
Personnel and Legal Affairs Manager
Prenatal S.p.A.
Centro Colleoni
Palazzo pegaso, 1
20041 Agrate Brianza (MI)
tel. 39-039-65571
fax: 39-039-651615

Artsana S.p.A
Via Saldarini Catelli,
1 - 22070 Grandate (CO)
Italy
Phone: +39-31-382-111
Fax: +39-31-382-400

Contact Ladybird management:
Ladybird Garment Co.,Ltd.
91/1-91/2 Moo
13 Kingkeew Rd. Bangpless
Samutprakam 10540
Thailand
tel. 3124121
Fax: 66-2-312-4120