Trade unionists and campaigners will be mounting a protest at Levi's central
London flagship store at 174 Regent Street this Thursday 29 July at 12.30
(lunchtime) over the sacking of 350 workers assembling Levi's jeans at a factory
in Haiti.

Levi's recently closed down their last factory in North America and
transferred production overseas. In the free trade zone in Haiti, Levi's production is
sub-contracted to a company called Grupo M.

At the beginning of June workers making Levi's in northern Haiti were
threatened by factory supervisors and beaten up by soldiers. Following a one day
protest strike, half the workforce – more than 350 workers including all but one
of the union leaders – were fired.

Charles Arthur from the Haiti Support Group said:

“Workers have the right to form unions. In their own code of conduct Levi
Strauss and Co calls on all its suppliers to recognise this right, but in this
case they are turning a blind eye to union-busting in Haiti. We cannot allow
this to happen, and we are calling on the company to intervene immediately to
ensure that the workers are reinstated.”

Geoff Martin from Battersea and Wandsworth TUC, which is helping to finance
union organising in Haiti, added:

“Levi's is a rock and roll brand. They pitch themselves at young people and
we know from recent campaigns by Oxfam and War on Want that young people
support the principles of fair trade. Who wants to wear jeans made by workers denied
the basic human right to form a union?”

“All we're asking for is for Levi's to play fair, enforce their own code of
conduct and get the sacked workers in Haiti back to work. We are happy to meet
with the company here in the UK at any time to resolve this dispute.”

ENDS
Further information:

Geoff Martin – 07831 465 103
Leah Gordon – 07958 566 791
(both numbers in the UK)

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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.
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