Published in the web bulletin of the Centre international de solidarité ouvrière (CISO, Montreal), Jan 1, 2012. Translation by Roger Annis.
(Original article in French here: http://www.ciso.qc.ca/?p=8436)
On November 10, 2011, CISO organized a seminar (in Montreal) on the conditions in the free trade factory zones in Haiti. During the course of the seminar, Yannick Étienne, coordinator of Batay Ouvriye, alerted us to the firing of six of the seven executive committee members of the newly formed union, Syndicat des Ouvriers du Textile et de l’Habillement (SOTA--Union of Textile and Clothing Workers).
CISO then coordinated a solidarity action with Batay Ouvriye. Firstly, taking advantage of the presence of Mme Étienne au Québec, we alerted the Quebec media. We also asked our members and allies to write to the President of Haiti and to the the directors of Gildan Activewear. Four of the fired workers were employed by a sub-contractor of Gildan, a Canadian multinational whose head office is located in Montreal. Many union and political rights organizations responded to the appeal as well as other people indignant at this injustice.
Publication of a report by Better Work
Following a complaint lodged by Batay Ouvriye, Better Work, the partnership program between the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the the International Finance Corporation (IFC), proceeded to carry out an inquiry.* It published its report on November 24, 2011. The report of this inquiry(15 pages, in French) revealed that the firing of the executive committee members of SOTA was motivated by their trade union activity. The firings aimed to disrupt the development of this association of workers, less than two weeks after its foundiing. It its report, Better Work particularly noted that the freedom of association of workers must be guaranteed in factory enterprises and it recommended the reintegration of the fired unionists.
Gains won
"Things are moving a little! And it is very encouraging!" writes Yannick Étienne in an e-mail dated December 12. Two of the unionists have been reintegrated. Meetings with the factory owners should take place soon to negotiate the reintegration of three others.
The struggle is difficult. CISO has promised to Batay Ouvriye and to the fired unionists to maintain our vigilance and solidarity. We will continue to inform our members and allies of the evolution of the process of reintegration process of each fired unionist. If necessary, we will undertake further actions.
(An article on this story was published in the Montreal daily The Gazette, Nov 15, 2011).