23440: Esser: BATAY OUVRIYE on Grupo M and CODEVI (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. Esser <torx@joimail.com>

BATAY OUVRIYE                            

October 10th, 2004

At the reinstatement of the first 34 workers arbitrarily fired from
the first free trade zone in Haiti, the “Compagnie de Développement
Industriel” (CODEVI), the union immediately entered a large
expansion: nearly four hundred workers joined. But without hesitating
and despite having supposedly accepted to negotiate specific and
general demands, management at Grupo M (the company) not only mocked
these discussion meetings but, in an unforeseen outburst, fired once
again – this time, in mass – most of the unionized workers. A whole
period of mobilization followed, nationally and internationally, in
which the company never did anything else than repress. Whether
directly through exactions of the Dominican army still on the
premises and, loyal to its principles, playing the role it has been
assigned; whether by intimidation going up to pure and simple
firings. Meanwhile, mysterious vaccines were administered to the
entire workforce. The latter having undergone serious problems, a
medical delegation went to the field to investigate. Besides the
contradictions pointed out (non-concordant dates, number of flasks of
the solution: one, states management, two certifies the doctor who
personally administered the shots - !! … - impossibility for
management to give samples of this “vaccine”…) it remains
nevertheless that the injections weren’t distributed by the ministry
of Public Health, nor under its supervision as demanded by the law,
nor even was the government aware of them! A good number of facts
that greatly complicated the situation for Grupo M and its allies.

In an attempt to protect himself and fool the public, F. Capellan
initiated a deceptive campaign in the Dominican media loyal to him,
relayed in Haiti by his allies of the Association of Haitian
Industrials (ADIH, in French) of which, it seems, he is a member
(sic) and upheld by a peculiar absence (complicity?) of the State,
more particularly the government and its specific ministries, namely
that of Commerce and Industry charged of presiding the Free Trade
Zone National Council. But necessarily, the truth opened up to the
general public on the basis of investigations and the revelations of
an inter-ministerial delegation that finally went on the spot, but
more particularly thanks to the positioning of one of its members who
openly declared the firings illegal and abusive. This curbed the
positions first of the World Bank, but especially the brand customers
(Levi Strauss and Sarah Lee) who thereupon had Grupo M understand it
had better sign a reinstatement agreement with the fired workers.
That which it did, not without having tried to indefinitely draw out
the process.

Discussions were due to proceed with the intermediation of mediators.
Here again, Codevi’s management, its Haitian allies and the World
Bank took advantage to once again skirt the rules of the game,
delaying tactics profiting comfortably management in its benefits
since, without any control, it was heightening production quotas
indefinitely without real salary adjustments. This practice was only
ceased by the cries of the workers who couldn’t take it anymore.
Meanwhile, the Codevi management tried once more to establish a
yellow union, trying to repeat its usual practices in the Dominican
Republic where the workers are bewildered on what to do before Grupo
M’s exploitation, exactions and guiltless domination. Once again, we
had to face these disloyal maneuvers.

Finally, in this atmosphere of completely disloyalty and flagrant
owners’ impunity, the principle of bi-national mediators was
admitted. But when we suggested our own choice, it was rejected not
only without the shadow of a justification but moreover, completely
casually, Mr. Constantine of the World Bank going so far as to think
of suggesting us names himself!

Presently, on our incitation (the workers, faced with the daily
pressures they encounter at work, are loudly crying for the union’s
return!), meetings are happening between the Codevi management and
the union, accompanied by representatives of the May First Batay
Ouvriye Union Federation, to which it is affiliated. For the moment,
these meeting concern specifically the presentation and acceptance of
mediators. Despite the inconsiderate and unjustified rejection of our
first suggestion, we are presenting a second one, Mr. Elie Jean, past
General Director of the Ministry of Social Affairs, presently retired.

We should add that, meantime, Grupo M found the occasion to severely
beat up a Haitian guard who was only responsible of having become
aware of a livestock business that the Dominican guards stationed at
the free trade zone were carrying out. The government, naturally,
never said a word. In the same way, protestant reverends with
constant ins and outs of the free trade zone (?!) preach daily in
their churches that if Grupo M still hasn’t completely developed
Ouanaminthe, this is due to the union! Such a turn doesn’t surprise
us, on the part of these Dominican capitalists, just as we aren’t
surprised either by the low level relayed by the Haitian pastors or,
moreover, the false generosity of Grupo M distributing jeans and
t-shirts with the company logo to whoever accepts, after hurricane
Jeanne… In the same way, the firings have never stopped, while
pressures at the factory continue in more earnest, for an ever
endless shameless exploitation: “slavery” cry out already the workers!

The Haitian bourgeois, themselves, have complete interest in working
towards the usefulness of this development towards their own ends,
concretely; so, they aren’t remaining behind. Indeed, non content of
having always supported the worst exactions of Grupo M, non content
of having tried to back all this company’s illegalities, now, only
recently, in a trade fair in Indianapolis, their representatives
“sell” the country’s labor at the lowest price, especially at a price
lower than the minimum wage (US$ 1.62 instead of US$1.92, at least)!
Guaranteeing, moreover, a docile labor and, from there, “excellent”
social relations! What are these bourgeois plotting? A “package” in
which repression would then be implicitly included? Further
devaluation of the gourde? A future lowering of the minimum salary?
We must but wait, since the present government is nothing more than a
committee at their service – proof: the second investigation report
of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, whose diffusion is
blocked by obscure forces.

And organize ourselves in consequence. For, faced with all these
maneuvers, the resistance pursues, realizing already quite clearly
that the Codevi Ouanaminthe case already assumes a global bearing,
exemplary value on the international level. Organization is
reinforcing, the permanent task of exchanges and collective
advancement similarly (seminars, Sokowar Bulletins # 1 and 2…). At
the national scale, the situation of the Codevi workers is given as
an example of the usefulness of union organizing, especially in these
times of demystification of the yellow union federations. The case
was presented and discussed at the Social Forum of the Americas, in
Quito, last September and will be again next week at the European
Social Forum, in London.

Batay Ouvriye continues, consequently, to denounce Grupo M’s furious,
low and dissimulated maneuvers, under the guise of serenity, sagacity
and moderation adopted towards its financers and clients. And we ask
for the reinforcement of combative solidarity of all those concerned.
.