Appeal for Action: North Sails, Sri Lanka

Dear Friends,

(Dec 2002) Since September, the CCC has been supporting an appeal to give assistance to workers at North Sails Lanka, a facility in Sri Lanka's Katunayake Free Trade Zone. Approximately 200 workers at the factory, which produces sails and sailing garments, had been unfairly dismissed, reportedly as a means to end an ongoing dispute over management's decision to cease payment of a quality bonus. By October North Sails management, faced with international pressure, agreed to unconditionally reinstate the workers. Now it seems that they have gone back on their promise. Please see below the update from TIE-Asia. As it is clear that this company is susceptible to international pressure, we urge you to take action in this case. For more information, please contact TIE-Asia tieasia@sri.lanka.net

29th November 2002
UPDATE ON NORTH SAILS

We would like to thank everyone so far for their support extended to the 207 dismissed workers from North Sails. Your continued support is still needed.

In the last update we reported that following a meeting with a German Trade Union delegation, who were in Sri Lanka on an exchange programme and due to international pressure through writing letters, management the following day (8th October 2002) stated in conciliation before the Labour Commissioner that they would be willing to consider taking back all workers if they wrote individually to management.

Workers of the North Sails union met and decided to submit these letters.

Late October North Sails management called approximately six out of the 80 workers who submitted letters back to the factory, the remaining workers have resigned. They said that they would be willing to take them back if they signed a letter saying that key people (named) forced workers them to go on strike. Workers refused to sign this letter.

It appears that management are simply buying time and have no intention of reinstating the workers.

Further details of this appeal can be found on the TIE-Asia website http://www.tieasia.org/Documents/North%20Sails%20Update.pdf

We are asking that you continue to send letters to the factory management and the Sri Lankan government:

Joseph Helmberger
Chairman
North Sails Lanka (Private) Limited
KEPZ, Phase 2, Ring Road 3
Katunayake, Sri Lanka
Tel. 94-1-2523789
Fax: 94-1-252470
E-mail: info@nslanka.lk

[Note: North Sails Lanka (PVT) Ltd. is a German-managed company (ownership is unclear: could be Swiss, Austrian, Italian or German owned).]

Mr. Mahinda Samarasinghe
Minister of Employment and Labour
Labour Secretariat
Colombo 5, Sri Lanka
Tel. 94-1-597384-589267
Fax: 94-1-588950

Additionally we are asking that unionists, activists, consumers and potential consumers of North Sails products send letters to the following retail outlets of North Sails in their country requesting that they put pressure on the company to reinstate the workers and negotiate with the union. Please check these addresses as the North Sails catalogue that we took them from is old, we have been unable to verify these addresses on the internet.

Australia
Windgenuity Sailboards
Unit 4/13 Dympna St
Dee Why 2099
New South Wales
T: (61) 2-99710117
F: (61) 2-99720103

Austria
Surf and Snowboard Handelsges.m.b.H.
Gnigler Strasse 35
5020 Salzburg
T: (43) 662-875507
F: (43) 662-8755031

Brazil
Team Brazil Ltda
Av.dos Banderiarantes 3434
Moema CEPPP 04071-000
Sao Paulo
T: (55) 11-530 3363
F: (55) 11-530 3363

Chile
Katz Sport Ltda
Av.Vitacura 6838, Santiago
T: (56) 2-2192698
F: (56) 2-2191645

Cyprus
Windsurfing Connections
59 Fr.Roosevelt Avenue
PO Box 4650 Limassol
T: (357) 5-359919
F: (357) 5-354426

Denmark
Intersurf A/S
Tomrervej 3c, 6800 Varde
T: (45) 7522-0211
F: (45) 7522-5137

Estonia
Brextion Ltd
Regati 1, K-6, Room 239
EE0019, Tallin
T: (372) 2-237069
F: (272) 2-237285

Finland
Take Off
Nervanderinkatu 11
00100 Helsinki
T: (358) 0-441739
F: (358) 0-494647

France
North Sport S.A
Z.A. de la Chesnais
35430 St. Houan-des-Guerets
T: (33) 99-191616
F: (33) 99-811850

Germany
North Sails Windsurfing GMBH
Seeshaupter Strasse 60
82377 Penzberg
T: (49) 8856-9150
F: (49) 8856-1601

Great Britain
North Sails Windsurfing UK
Unit 3, North Close Business Park
Shorncliffe,
CT20 3UH, Folkstone, Kent
T: (44) 1303-850553
F: (44) 1303-850428

Greece
H.Glaridis & SIA OE
88, Tzavela St, 18533 Piraeus
T: (30) 1-4113163
F: (30) 1-4110588

Hong Kong
The Pro Shop
1/f, Front Unit, Ocean View Court, 31 Mody Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
T: (852) 27236816
F: (852) 27243682

Hungary
New Motion KFT
Wesselenyi u. 71
1077 Budapest
T: (36) 1-3250858
F: (36) 1-1882874

Israel
Yamit Y.S.B. Ltd
Marina Tel Avis
PO Box 6185
61061 Tel Aviv
T: (972) 3-5271779
F: (972) 3-5271031

Italy
Tomasoni Topsail S.P.A
Via E. Toti 55
16035 Rapallo GE
T: (39) 185-263232
F: (39) 185-263160

Japan
Mitsui Bussan Sports Co Ltd
Ryumeikan Building 34
Kanda Surugadai
Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo
T: (81) 3-32555651
F: (81) 3-32553948

Korea
Sun Marine Sports Ltd
460-15 Amsa-Dong, Kangdong-Ku, Seoul
T: (82) 2-4425101
F: (82) 2-4288577

Malta
Crossbow Holding Co Ltd
69 Cospicua Road, Paola, Malta
T: (356) 677778
F: (356) 696990

Netherland/Belgium/Luxemburg
Kubus Sports B.V.
Amsterdamsestraatweg 19
1411 AW Naarden
T: (31) 2159-48338
F: (31) 2159-49782

New Caledonia
Ruben Slalom Board
21 rue Bocquet Magenta, Noumea
T: (687) 277193
F: (687) 277955

New Zealand
SBD 2000 Ltd
PO Box 100
800 North Shore Mail Centre
5/61 View Road, Glenfield, Auckland
T: (64) 9-4446511
F: (64) 9-4443345

Poland
Vento Co.
Skierniewicka 18, Wroclaw
T: (48) 71-672711
F: (48) 71-672711

Portugal
L.P.L. Artigos Desportivos E Lazer L.D.A
Urb.Varandas de Cascais Lote 1, Loja 3, 2750 Alvide/Cascais
T: (351) 1-4835344
F: (351) 1-4835362

Singapore
King and Company (Sports) Pte ltd
No. 01-08 MacTech Industrial Building No.2
Kallang Pudding Road
Singapore 1334
T: (65) 7460245
F: (65) 7439203

Slovenija
Surf Service Piran D.O.O.
Goriska 1, 66330 Piran
T: (38) 6676101
F: (38) 6676101

We would like to hear of other suggestions for action on this campaign.

In Solidarity
Kelly Dent
TIE-Asia Coordinator
Anton Marcus
General Secretary
Free Trade Zone Workers Union