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Issue No. 171 | 21 March 2003 |
Shock and Awe
Poetry: If I Were a Rich Man Interview: League of Nations Industrial: 20/20 Hindsight Organising: On The Buses Unions: National Focus History: The Banner Room International: The Slaughter Continues Legal: A Legal Case For War? Culture: Singing For The People Review: The Hours Poetry: I Wanna Bomb Saddam Satire: Diuretic Makes Warne's Excuses Look Thin
Peace Marchers Warn Off Provocateurs Gap, Target Pay Sweatshop Dues Telstra Dotty Over Witching Hour Lawyers Push Super Class Action Fair Clothing Activists Take Stock
The Soapbox The Locker Room Guest Report Seduction Bosswatch
Viva Le Imperialists! The First Casualty Righteous indignation Dead Right Calling All Libs If George W Bush was an Australian Citizen...
Labor Council of NSW |
News Gap, Target Pay Sweatshop Dues
Of the original defendants, 23 manufacturers and 27 US-based retailers, only Levis stands outside the settlement to a three-year class action lawsuit due to be signed into effect by a Federal Court judge this week. Levis ceased purchasing garments from Saipan after the lawsuit was filed. The settlement came after lawyers for thousands of plaintiffs from China and neighbouring Asian states unveiled a horror story of greed and exploitation. Saipan, in the Northern Mariana group, came under US Commonwealth control after the Second World War. Manufacturers and retailers were attracted because it wasn't covered by US labour codes but they could still sell Saipan-produced goods as US made, avoiding protective tarrifs. The scenario put forward by plaintiffs is that they had to pay significant significant "recruitment fees", usually $5000 - $10,000, to gain work in Saipan sweatshops. Once there they were indentured, often slept 10-20 to a room, were forcibly prevented from leaving their hostels, worked hundreds of hours of unpaid overtime in cramped, unsafe conditions. At the basic rate of $3.05 an hour, it was argued, most would need to work 2500 hours before they even paid off their "recruitment fees". Other specific allegations included... - "prison-like confinement", in housing secured by guards and surrounded by fences, sometimes topped with razor wire. - poor food, water and hygeine standards. - air conditioning often broken or non-existent - cruel punishments, including one case where workers were forced to remove bolts of cloth from a storage unit so the skin on their backs, arm and legs was burned from contact with metal walls, "making a searing sound like frying meat". - In 1996, US-based OH&S inspectors visited Saipan and listed 90 violations, including 45 which involved "the risk of serious injury or death". - Many workers being forced to sign "shadow contracts", curtailing freedom of speech and religion, and denying them the rights to join a trade union. Previously, a major manufacturer and leading Honk Kong businessman, Willie Tan of Tan Holdings, had been required to pay $9 million in underpaid wages and entitlements. The current settlement was reached last September with defendents agreeing to put more than $US20 million into an interest bearing account. Within 20 days, plaintiffs were to have issued notices to more than 30,000 current and former Saipan garment workers informing them of the terms of the settlement. Importantly, settling US retailers have agreed to purchase garments only from factories that adhere to a comprehensive Code of Conduct on labour standards. Part of the settlement money will go towards the establishment of an independent monitoring program for the Saipan garment manufacture. "The court has paved the way for sweeping reform of America's worst sweatshop", said Al Meyerhoff, a lead attorney for the plaintiffs. This week's signing off on the Saipan agreement has also been welcomed by union and anti-sweatshop groups which had been joined to the action. "This case breaks new ground," said Bruce Raynor of US clothing workers union UNITE. "Under this agreement, defendants have established a program that will assure the rights of garment workers and fully protected. This has been a long road but we're pleased it has come to a successful conclusion."
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