Fruit of the Loom Campaign VICTORY!

[Judi Lynn]

19 Nov 2009 People & Planet news. Corporate Power
Fruit of the Loom Campaign VICTORY!
Honduran Union sign historic agreement with Fruit of the Loom/Russell.

In the last few days Fruit of the Loom/Russell have agreed to meet People & Planet’s campaign demands to reopen the Honduran factory, re-hire all 1200 workers who have been without jobs for 10 months or more and make historic steps towards respecting union rights in the future. View details of the agreement

Nearly a year ago Fruit of the Looms subsidiary Russell Athletic illegally closed its Jerzees de Honduras factory shortly after workers formed a trade union. The closure left 1800 people with families to feed and provide for, jobless. Reports from the Workers Rights Consortium and the Fair Labour Association concluded that the motive in closing the factory was, at least in part, to stop workers organising for fair conditions.

Students in the UK, USA and Canada responded by campaigning in solidarity with workers by pressuring their universities who sold branded Fruit of the Loom and Russell Athletic garments to boycott the corporation. 9 UK Universities and over 100 universities worldwide boycotted Fruit of the Loom/Russell, making it the largest garment boycott campaign in history. Now the campaign has come to an end in a huge victory.

This is a historic victory for workers rights and for students. Never in history have people forced a multinational corporation to re-open a factory. It has shown that as students we can fight back against exploitation and the race to the bottom. We can campaign in solidarity with workers and WIN!

http://peopleandplanet.org/navid8784

[Downwinder]

1. This is sufficient reason for me to buy?

He had best be more positive, I think I'll keep sitting on my wallet.

[Peace Patriot]

2. I hope the victory holds up, but I'm not hopeful, with the golpistas in charge.

Will they get a decent wage--or will that go by the wayside, along with the elected president (who doubled the minimum wage in Honduras) and Honduran democracy?

KUDOS AND LAUREL WREATHS TO THE STUDENTS WHO ORGANIZED THIS BOYCOTT!

:bounce: :applause: :bounce:

AND WORRIED CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WORKERS!

:grouphug: