22734: (Arthur) Codevi/Levi's - Latest campaign news from Europe (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Tttnhm@aol.com

WHAT ARE LEVI’S AND THE IFC DOING FOR THE CODEVI WORKERS? - Clean Clothes
Campaign - July 2004

Since we last updated you in June on the Codevi case in Haiti the situation
has not improved for the garment workers there who produce jeans for Levi
Strauss. On June 11th Grupo M fired 254 workers at the World Bank IFC-funded
facility, including six of seven union committee members.

Instead of reinstating the workers, Grupo M has moved part of its production
from Codevi to the factories they have in the Dominican Republic. Although the
company claimed “low productivity” was forcing a temporary transfer of
Levi’s work to their Dominican factory, the workers were told the layoff was
permanent. Since the layoff, workers still working at Codevi (under difficult
conditions) have been told that the 254 were fired “to punish them” for their
participation in union activities. Since these massive firings on June 11th,
production targets at Codevi have been doubled! Workers who have complained about
the new production system have been dismissed.

The Clean Clothes Campaign has acknowledged the action taken by Levi’s to
push for reinstatement of workers unjustly dismissed from Codevi earlier on in
this case, however Levi’s is not doing enough NOW to get the Codevi workers
their jobs back and ensure that their rights are respected. Instead they are
allowing Grupo M to produce their jeans elsewhere and get away with punishing
workers for trying to exercise their rights. Workers who stitch Levi Strauss jeans
are supposed to be able to freely associate – at least, that’s what the
Levi’s Sourcing Guidelines say. Instead, these Haitian workers have had to endure
numerous rights violations, and those who have been unjustly dismissed and are
out of work are struggling to feed themselves and their families.



ACTIONS TARGETTING LEVI STRAUSS IN EUROPE

To voice their dissatisfaction with this state of affairs, CCC activists in
France and Belgium have taken to the streets to help raise consumer awareness
of the case and of Levi’s responsibility to ensure that the rights of the
Codevi workers are respected:



- July 10, Angers, France: Participants in the “Summer University of
International Solidarity”, a five day event that brought together representatives of
more than 50 French NGOs, took part in a leafleting action at a Levi’s store in
Angers. The action was organized by Peuples-Solidaires, a member organization
of the French CCC. Yannick Etienne, of ESPM-Batay Ouvyrie, the union
federation that SOKOWA is affiliated to, was also in Angers for the action. In
addition to distributing 1000 leaflets, activists collected nearly 400 signatures in
support of the Codevi workers, which were faxed to Paul Mason, head of Levi’s
Europe. So far Peuples-Solidaries has not received a response from Levi’s.

- July 12, Brussels, Belgium: Representatives from the FGTB, SETCA, CSC, CNE
trade unions, the CRIOC-OIVO consumer organization, and the NGOs Solidarite
Mondiale, Oxfam Magasins due Monde, Oxfam Solidarite, CNCD, Peuples Solidaires,
and GRESEA participated in a leafleting action in front of Levi’s European
headquarters. Yannick Etienne, of ESPM-Batay Ouvyrie also participated in this
action. The French-speaking Belgian CCC, which organized the action, sought to
arrange a meeting for Etienne with Levi Strauss representatives, but this did
not happen. A representative of the Levi’s Corporate Affairs department was
willing to receive only a representative of the Belgian CCC; they refused to
allow Etienne to join the delegation, so the CCC refused to meet. Following a
press conference, the case of the Codevi workers received extensive coverage in
the Belgian media. Coverage included articles in Le Soir and La Libre Belgique,
the two main French language newspapers in Belgium; stories on Radio Contact
and Radio One, the public news station; and a dispatch written by Belga, the
national press agency.

To read the CCC appeal on this case in French and send a protest letter to
Levi Strauss, see the following link: http://www.madeindignity.be/public/09.htm.
A follow-up message was sent to Levi Strauss the next day on behalf of the
Belgian CCC and the CCC International Secretariat, so far no response has been
received.



Your help is needed to support these efforts!

Please adapt and send the messages below to Levi Strauss and to the World
Bank today. Please send copies of all your letters and responses to Batay Ouvriye
batay@batayouvriye.org

ACTION REQUEST

Contact Levi Strauss

Tell Levi Strauss that they still have a role to play in resolving the labor
dispute at their supplier in Codevi. Tell them that you expect them to take
steps to see that:

- Grupo M reinstates all fired Codevi workers

- Grupo M moves production that has been moved from Haiti to the Dominican
Republic back to Haiti

- Grupo M returns the production level at Codevi back to original levels (10
modules)

- Grupo M negotiates in good faith with SOKOWA

Contact information:

Michael Kobori
Director, Global Code of Conduct
Levi Strauss & Co.
1155 Battery St.
San Francisco, CA 94111
Tel: (415)501-1459
Fax: (415)501-1485
e-mail: mkobori@levi.com
Cc:
Miriam Rodriguez, Regional Compliance Manager
e-mail: Mrodriguez@levi.com