victory at Gina Form!

17 July 2003

We are very pleased to report that garment workers at the Gina Form Bra Co., a Thai factory that produces for such brands as Victoria’s Secret, Gap, and Kmart, have reached an agreement with management in a dispute that had gone on for more than six months. Campaigners continue to pressure the two Canadian brands who cut and ran from the factory to resume production at Gina Form.

IMPORTANT VICTORY FOR THAI GARMENT WORKERS

A collective bargaining agreement was signed between the Gina Relations Worker Union (GRWU) and Gina Form Bra management after an eight-hour bargaining session, mediated by a conciliator from the Thai Ministry of Labor. Phil Robertson, of the Solidarity Center Thailand, spoke with the President and Deputy President of the GRWU on July 9, and with their advisor from the Thailand Center for Labor Rights (TLR) about this important victory. Robertson reports that they were very happy, and appreciative of all the solidarity support they have received over this long struggle from the many trade unions and NGOs overseas!

The sacrifices, struggle, and bravery of the GRWU leaders and their members has paid off - and you all helped make it happen! The CCC thanks all those who responded to our appeal for action on this case. The letters you have been sending to Gina Form clients and management since December right up until this agreement was reached have helped make this victory happen.

A joint statement between the company and the GRWU was signed, in both English and Thai, and is being distributed by the company to its customers.

Key points of the collective bargaining agreement are the following:

(1) Increases in annual increases, monthly payment for food allowance, monthly payment for 'living costs' (i.e. top up in pay that is not counted as salary), payment of funeral benefits for immediate relatives of workers, increase in rate of 'diligence pay' premium.

(2) Management pledges to operate towards the labor union in a transparent and just manner, and to strictly follow the relevant labor laws, and to maintain a policy of being supportive of the activities of the union.

(3) Management will withdraw the case at the Labor Court, seeking to fire the five union executive committee members.

(4) Management will withdraw its appeal of the Labor Court decision to order reinstatement of 38 union members, and to follow the order of the Labor Relations Committee.

(Note that these 38 workers were fired over a year ago, and that the Labor Relations Committee order requires the company to pay damages, which the GRWU estimates may come to about 100,000 baht per person (approximately $US 2500 per person), or a total of about 3.8 million baht).

(5) Payment of annual bonus for daily workers, with level tied to number of days missed at work during the year.

(6) Management will allow leave for union committee members to perform union work up to 60 days a year, with 10 of those days as paid leave.

(7) Management pledges to strictly follow the law in the use of Article 75 of the Labor Protection Act (half-pay leave) and in any sort of contracting of outside workers.

(8) CBA is for two years.

Basically, almost all the key issues that the union wanted have been achieved! It is a resounding victory for workers' rights in Thailand, and a historical case in the Thai labor movement that will be a future example of the effectiveness of international solidarity, when combined with a tenacious and courageous labor leaders who maintain unity in the face of tremendous anti-union pressures.

CANADIAN COMPANIES FAILED TO ACT RESPONSIBLY

The agreement at Gina Form was reportedly reached with the assistance of the Thai Minister of Labour, and under pressure from two of the US brands. In contrast, the two Canadian companies, La Senza and Boutique Jacob, that were producing their goods at Gina Form at the time of the dispute, refused to pressure their supplier to respect workers' rights, and instead cut off orders to the factory. The Maquila Solidarity Network in Canada has been campaigning vigorously to get these two companies to resume their orders at Gina Form. The Clean Clothes Campaign in the UK, where La Senza has shops, has also been putting pressure on the Canadian company, taking part in demonstrations along with No Sweat and War on Want on July 5 at two of the La Senza's London stores.

ACTION REQUEST

Please help the Gina workers to consolidate their victory. Unless the brands return orders to the factory the workers' victory could be in jeopardy. Write letters to La Senza and Boutique Jacob today, urging them to immediately resume placing orders with the factory now that there is a commitment to respect workers' rights. For background on the struggle at the Gina Form Bra factory, visit the MSN website at http://www.maquilasolidarity.org.

Send letters by fax or e-mail to:
Lawrence Lewin, President
La Senza Inc.
1604 Boulevard St-Regis
Dorval, Quebec, CANADA
H9P 1H6
Fax: 514-684-4770
E-mail: swilkinson@lasenza.com

Joseph Basmaji, President
Boutique Jacob Inc.
6125 Chemin De La Côte-de-Liesse
St-Laurent, Quebec, H4T 1C8
Fax: 514-731-8869
E-mail: scarriere@jacob.ca

SAMPLE LETTER
(courtesy MSN)

Adapt and send the following letter; please send copies of your letters to MSN

Dear Mr. XXX,

I am writing to request that your company immediately resume orders with the Gina Form Bra factory in Bangkok, Thailand. I have received encouraging news that on July 10, Gina management and the Gina Relation Worker Union signed a two-year collective agreement in which the company agreed to comply with a labour court ruling and reinstate 38 fired union members, withdraw a case before the labour court seeking authorization to fire the five union executive members, recognize and respect the union, and strictly follow relevant Thai labour laws.

At the same time, I am very disappointed to learn that while two US brands sourcing from the factory reportedly took their responsibilities seriously and helped to solve the dispute between Gina management and the workers, your company decided to cut and run from your responsibilities to the Gina workers.

Now that workers' rights are being respected at the Gina Form Bra factory, I would strongly urge your company to immediately resume orders with the factory. Please don't abandon these workers after they have fought so hard to win respect for their rights.

Yours truly,