19819: (Arthur) Act now for democracy and human rights in Haiti!!!!!!!!!! (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Tttnhm@aol.com

URGENT ACTION ALERT !

UNION-BUSTING AT THE CODEVI FREE TRADE ZONE AT OUANAMINTHE, HAITI

On Monday March 1st, 2004, 34 members of the SOKOWA, the new trade union at
the Grupo M-owned free trade zone at Ouanaminthe in north-east Haiti were fired
by the management. The next day, as workers at the Codevi Free Trade Zone
began to take action in support of the union, members of the so-called 'rebel'
forces, who last week staged a coup d'etat against the Haitian government,
arrived at the factory with guns to rough up the workers. After several workers
were handcuffed and others beaten up, the workforce was compelled to resume work.
Later, the 'rebels' revealed that they had been contacted the previous
evening by the Grupo M factory management who had told them that workers were going
to "make problems".

Please take action now in support of the Sendika Ouvriye Kodevi Wanament -
SOKOWA (the Ouanaminthe Codevi Workers' Union) - who have been told to collect
their final paychecks on Monday, 8th March. The main contract at the
Ouanaminthe Grupo M factory is to assemble jeans for the world-famous Levi Strauss
company. To support the new union at the Grupo M factory in Haiti, please write
letters and emails demanding the reinstatement of the fired union members
immediately. Send to:

Fernando Capellan, CEO Grupo M SA
Caribbean Industrial Park,
Matanzas,
Santiago,
Dominican Republic
email: fcapellan@grupom.com.do

cc: Limbert Cruz - email: lcruz@grupom.com.do

Michael Kobori, Director, Global Code of Conduct,
Levi Strauss & Co.
1155 Battery St.
San Francisco, CA 94111
USA
Tel: (415) 501-1459
Fax: (415) 501-1485
email: mkobori@levi.com


cc:
Haiti Support Group - email: haitisupport@gn.apc.org
First of May-Batay Ouvriye union federation - email: batayouvriye@hotmail.com

______________________________________________


This email is forwarded as a service of the Haiti Support Group.

See the Haiti Support Group web site:
www.haitisupport.gn.apc.org

Solidarity with the Haitian people's struggle for justice, participatory
democracy and equitable development, since 1992.
____________________________________________