Aug 2002, Agra case sample letters

SAMPLE LETTERS THAT YOU CAN SEND TODAY!

Please find below two sample letters which can be sent out to public authorities in India and to buyers in the UK urging them to take action in the aftermath of the devasting fire at the Shree Jee footwear factory in India. For more information on this case, please see the CCC website <www.cleanclothes.org>.

If you have not already taken action in relation to this case, we urge you to take a few minutes to adapt these letters and send them out. Forty-two workers died in this tragic fire and it is important that steps are taken to ensure that such a tragedy does not occur again. Note that you might experience difficulties with faxing -- if you are unable to get through, please keep trying or send your letters via regular mail.

If you receive responses to your letters, please inform the Centre for Education and Communication, in India. They are our contact on this case and are interested to hear about actions taken in relation to this matter. You can reach them by fax: 91 (11) 6686842; 6675611 or by e-mail: campaign@labourfile.org, nclr@labourfile.org

Thanks for your efforts! We hope to have an update on this case in the near future.

Sample letter: to be adapted and sent to the brands producing at Shree Jee:

To: Barratts Shoes
Michael A. Ziff, chairman
Stylo Plc.
Harrogate Road
Apperley Bridge
BRADFORD
BD10 0NW
Tel : +44-1274 893845
Fax: +44-1274616111
E-mail : enquiries@stylo.co.uk

Jacobson Group (owners of the Gola brand)
Bacup Rd Rawtenstall Lancashire BB4 7PA
Tel: +44-1706 212512
Fax: +44-1706 214324
Email: sales@jacobsongroup.co.uk

Jim Christie
Buying Controller
The Peacock Group PLC
Atlantic House
Tyndall St.
Cardiff CF10 4 PS
Fax: +44-29-2044-0400

Peter Foot
Stead & Simpson Let.
Fosse Way
Syston
Leicestershire LE7 1 PG
UK
Fax: +44-116-264-0713

Margaret Heffernan and Frank Dunne
Dunnes Stores
67 Upper Stephen St.
Dublin 8
Ireland
Fax: 353-1-475-4405

Also contact the International Shoe Agency (ISA) which is the agent that Peacock, Dunnes, and Stylo were sourcing through.

Jules Rumney
ISA
Leicester
UK
Fax: +44-116-2395-679

From: [Insert Your Name Here]

Attention Buyers:

I have been informed that Shree Jee International, a footwear manufacturing based in Agra, India that reportedly produces shoes for your brand caught fire the morning of May 24, 2002. According to official figures, 42 workers died in the accident and 11 were injured. At the time of the accident, the only door at the entrance of the factory was locked and as a result increased the number of deaths.

There are two versions of the cause of fire in the factory: it could have been due to an electric spark from the power line, or as the workers said, from the lighted cigarette/match stick thrown by the owner. The fire ignited the solutions, softener and other chemicals stored in the first room next to the door. The fire and subsequent explosions blocked any exit through that door. Most of the workers who survived were rescued by breaking open the two windows at the back and the locked door connecting the adjacent factory, Tej Shoes. Amar Singh, a worker rescued eight other workers, including children, but could not survive himself as he was engulfed by the smoke and fire. His body was found hanging from one of the two windows. There were around 200 to 250 workers in the factory when the accident occurred.

A fact-finding team visited Agra on 29-30 May 2002 and found that numerous labour laws were violated, resulting not only in a disastrous fire but also in the high death toll. The company owner, the local administration, and the foreign buyers all can be held responsible.
Shree Jee produces exclusively for the export market. In Mumbai they contract with four export companies: Jishu Exports, Kejriwal Exports, Choudhary International and Chandan. The shoes produced at this factory had labels for Saffron, Toddy, Narisa, Toscana, Barratts, and Simona pasted on them with price tags indicating values in pound sterling. Shipping documents indicated that the shoes were meant for Barratts Co. and Jacobson Footwear.

As a consumer, I demand that you, the buyers, clarify how it is possible that this happened at one of your supplier factories and immediately make changes in your policies to prevent this from ever happening again. The steps you should undertake should include compensation for families of the deceased workers, injured workers and jobless workers and their families. You bear responsibility and liability to the workers that make your products. The fire at Shree Jee International is the result of carelessness and harsh working conditions -- this is unacceptable and requires immediate action from your company.

The fact-finding task force published a report of their investigation into this tragedy, including recommendation (the full report can be found at the website of the Clean Clothes Campaign <www.cleanclothes.org>). I draw your attention to the excerpt below which you, as a Shree Jee client, have a responsibility to follow up on:

I. Compensation and Job
The aspects of (a) duration of remaining injured and thereby being out of work, (b) the ability of the injured to go back to the same occupation, and (c) permanent disability have not been looked into. These aspects should be considered while working out the compensation.
Compensation is not just the monetary reward, it should include assurance of a job.

Compensation in the case of the Shree Jee fire is essential, but also, a commitment to your role in changing a system which allowed such a tragedy to happen. Striving to ensure that the workplaces where your goods are produced are a safe and healthy environment should be a priority, reflected in your policies and procedures. Below are the other steps that the task force identified as issues to be followed up via governmental channels. Your lobbying on these points could make a difference.

II. Task Force
The trade unions and civil society representatives should be immediately included as members of the four task forces constituted by the District Magistrate.

III. Social Security Fund for Footwear Workers
The Central and State governments should take immediate steps to constitute a Social Security Fund for the footwear workers with contributions from the manufacturers/exporters, government and the workers. The concerned authorities, including the labour department should evolve a mechanism for registering workers in the footwear industry of Agra at two levels: (a) at the footwear industry level and (b) at factory level.

IV. Awareness on Labour Rights and Provisions in the Factories Act, 1948
A two-year programme should be developed by the labour department and the factories directorate, which aims at creating awareness among the footwear industry employers on the various rights of workers and provisions of the Factories Act and the need for such safety procedures. The labour department should ensure payment of minimum wages to the workers.

V. Training Programmes
The Labour Department, with the assistance of the District Administration should evolve a comprehensive in-house Training Programme for workers in the industry on various safety provisions, handling of safety equipment and emergency measures to be taken in case of sudden fires and accidents within the factories using chemicals, in particular, the footwear manufacturing units. Convergence of expertise and experience should be ensured by roping in the fire services, civil defence, St. John's Ambulance and the National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH) etc in implementing this programme.

VI. Responsibility of the Labour Department
The State Government should immediately withdraw the controversial circular by the Chief Secretary instructing labour inspectors to seek prior permission of the District Magistrate to conduct inspections of factories. The Labour Department should be made more responsible and accountable. Within the next three months the district administration should publish in public the information regarding the total number of registered footwear units in Agra and what steps have been taken for those units which were still operating unregistered. The District Magistrate should ensure periodic inspection of the factories, a time frame of which should be framed and accountability and liability for the inspections should be established.

VII. Culpability of the Guilty
Proper culpability should be established and those guilty should be prosecuted to establish accountability.

Please act quickly in this matter -- families who lost a loved one and workers who lost their jobs are in great need of your help. Thank you for your consideration of these issues.

Sincerely,

[Insert your name here]

Sample letter: to be adapted and sent to Indian governmental authorities:

To: Agra Footwear Manufacturers' & Exporters' Chamber
c/o Tej Shoe Factory
John Mills, Jeoni Mandi
Agra - 282 004, India
Fax: 91 562 362161

Ms. Mayawati
Chief Minister
Government of Uttar Pradesh
Residence of the Chief Minister
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
Fax: 91 522 230002

Ms. Johara Chatterjee
Labour Commissioner
Government of Uttar Pradesh
Sarvodaya Nagar
G T Road, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
Fax: 91 512 297142

Ravi Mathur
Uttar Pradesh Labour Secretary
801-802 Bapu Bhawan,
Lucknow - 226 001
Uttar Pradesh, India
Fax: 91 522 237831

Shri Sharad Yadav
Minister for Labour
Government of India
7, Tughlak Road
New Delhi - 110 003
Fax: 91 11 3017118

Dr. P d Shenoy
Secretary
Ministry of Labour
Government of India
Shram Shakti Bhavan, Rafi Marg
New Delhi - 110 001
Fax: 91 11 3355679

From: [Insert Your Name Here]

Attention Policy Makers:

I have been informed that Shree Jee International, a footwear manufacturing based in Agra, India that reportedly produces shoes for export to various European markets caught fire the morning of May 24, 2002. According to official figures, 42 workers died in the accident and 11 were injured. At the time of the accident the only door at the entrance of the factory was locked and as a result increased the number of deaths.

There are two versions of the cause of fire in the factory: it could have been due to an electric spark from the power line or, as the workers said, from the lighted cigarette/match stick thrown by the owner. The fire ignited the solutions, softener and other chemicals stored in the first room next to the door. The fire and subsequent explosions blocked any exit through that door. Most of the workers who survived were rescued by breaking open the two windows at the back and the locked door connecting the adjacent factory, Tej Shoes. Amar Singh, a worker rescued eight other workers, including children, but could not survive himself as he was engulfed by the smoke and fire. His body was found hanging from one of the two windows. There were around 200 to 250 workers in the factory when the accident occurred.

As a consumer, I am eagar to know that the Indian government is following up on this case and working to prevent future similar tragedies. I understand that a fact-finding team visited Agra on 29-30 May 2002 and found that numerous labour laws were violated, resulting not only in the disastrous fire but also in the high death toll. The company owner, the local administration, and the foreign buyers all can be held responsible. I am calling upon you to react to the recommendations published by the fact-finding task force which require governmental action (see excerpts below, to see the full report see the website of the Clean Clothes Campaign <www.cleanclothes.org).

For your information I have also been in touch with the European companies that do business with Shree Jee. This company produces exclusively for the export market. In Mumbai they have contracts with four exporters: Jishu Exports, Kejriwal Exports, Choudhary International and Chandan. The shoes produced at the factory had labels for Saffron, Toddy, Narisa, Toscana, Barratts and Simona pasted on them with price tags indicating values in pound sterling. Shipping documents indicated that the shoes were meant for Barratts Co. and Jacobson Footwear.

I have requested that the buyers clarify how it is possible that this happened at one of their supplier factories and immediately make changes in their policies to prevent this from ever happening again. The steps they will undertake will include compensation for families of the deceased workers, injured and jobless workers, and their families. The buyer has a responsibility and liability to the workers that make their products. The fire at Shree Jee International is the result of carelessness and harsh working conditions. This is unacceptable and requires immediate attention and modification, both from the buyers that source at these facilities and the governmental authorities, such as yourself, whose tasks include regulating industry and defending the rights of workers.

Below are excerpts from the report of the fact-finding task force, following their investigation into the circumstances of the Shree Jee fire. I draw your attention to the following points and urge you take action to follow up on these important recommendations.

II. Task Force
The trade unions and civil society representatives should be immediately included as members of the four task forces constituted by the District Magistrate.

III. Social Security Fund for Footwear Workers
The Central and State governments should take immediate steps to constitute a Social Security Fund for the footwear workers with contributions from the manufacturers/exporters, government and the workers.
The concerned authorities, including the labour department, should evolve a mechanism for registering workers in the footwear industry of Agra at two levels: (a) at the footwear industry level and (b) at factory level.

VI. Responsibility of the Labour Department
The State Government should immediately withdraw the controversial circular by the Chief Secretary instructing labour inspectors to seek prior permission of the District Magistrate to conduct inspections of factories. The Labour Department should be made more
responsible and accountable. Within the next three months the district administration should publish in public the information regarding the total number of registered footwear units in Agra and what steps have been taken for those units which were still operating unregistered. The District Magistrate should ensure periodic inspection of the factories, a time frame of which should be framed and accountability and liability for the inspections should be established.

VII. Culpability of the Guilty
Proper culpability should be established and those guilty should be prosecuted to establish accountability.

Taking decisive action in the wake of the fire at Shree Jee International is essential, but also, a commitment to changing a system, which allowed for this tragedy to occur. A priority in your capacity within the government should be to work to ensure that workplaces offer a safe and healthy environment. Please act quickly in this matter -- families who lost a loved one and workers who lost their job are in great need of your help. Thank you for your consideration of these issues.

Sincerely,

[Insert your name here]