From: Bhumika Muchhala (b_muchhala@hotmail.com)
Date: Mon Nov 05 2001 - 03:43:41 EST
>From: Campaign for Labor Rights <CLRMain@afgj.org>
>To: CLR DC <clrdc@afgj.org>
>Subject: Almond (Thailand) Sues Workers for Speaking Out
>Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 10:50:17 -0500
>
>
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>
><><><><><>
>CLR Labor Alert posted October 31, 2001
>
>In this Alert:
>1. Almond Jewelry Factory in Thailand Files Lawsuit Against 20 Workers-an
>update on the struggle.
>2. FAX or EMAIL ACTION-send an email to the Home Shopping Network, which
>sells Almond Jewelry.
>3. Background Fact Sheet.
>
>[Information in this Labor Alert provided by the Thai Labour Campaign,
>Bangkok, Thailand]
>
><><><><><>
>
>ALMOND JEWELRY FACTORY IN THAILAND FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST 20 WORKERS:
>Almond
>Sues the Union for Speaking Out
>
>The 600 workers at the Almond (Thailand) Ltd. gold jewelry factory in
>Bangkok, Thailand face hazardous conditions from molten metal and fumes
>while earning as little as $4/day - far below a living wage. Last
>December,
>when workers organized a union, Almond responded by firing over 40 union
>leaders and other employees. Almond produces religious and other jewelry
>that is marketed and distributed in the U. S. by Michael Anthony Jewelers,
>Inc., a Mt. Vernon, NY-based firm whose major customers include J.C. Penney
>and the Home Shopping Network. (for more background information,
>Background
>Fact Sheet section below)
>
>On August 8, clergy and activists from the Greater New York Labor-Religion
>Coalition, AFL-CIO, UNITE, Campaign for Labor Rights, National Labor
>Committee and United Students Against Sweatshops, joined Junya Yimprasert
>of
>the Thai Labour Campaign in delivering an appeal from Almond workers to
>Anthony Paolercio, President of Michael Anthony Jewelers, asking him to
>take
>responsibility for ending violations of workers rights at the factory.
>
>That same day in Bangkok, a union leader from the plant was followed and
>beaten with a steel pipe by unknown assailants after leaving the Almond
>factory. Then, on August 14, 2001, the Almond (Thailand) filed a lawsuit
>against the workers' union for contacting the company's customers and for
>speaking out to international labor rights supporters about the abuses they
>have suffered. The suit is clearly a tactic being used by the company to
>intimidate union leaders and supporters.
>
>Almond Co. is suing 20 union members for 46,316,215 Baht-or about one
>million US dollars - which equal up to 30 years wages for all these workers
>combined! The company claims that financial damages due to bad
>international publicity will require them to lay off 250 workers without
>compensation. The workers see this as an excuse for the company to fire
>250
>union supporters.
>
>To add insult to injury, the company recently reported the union to the
>Ministry of Labour, claiming that the union's letters to the company's US
>customers violated the law because a fired union member signed one of them.
>The company also reported that the union was not carrying out monthly
>meetings in accordance with Thai law-this is ironic considering the company
>refuses to recognize the union!
>
>Despite this aggressive union-busting campaign, the union continues to
>struggle for the rights of the Almond workers. Union leaders and staff of
>the Thai Labour Campaign request that supporters in the US show Almond that
>we will not tolerate its outrageous attempts to intimidate and silence
>these
>brave workers.
>
><><><><><>
>FAX/EMAIL ACTION:
>
>In the last Labor Alert about the Almond campaign, CLR asked that you write
>a letter to Michael Anthony Jewelers, the US distributor of Almond jewelry.
>Over 900 letters were sent in all (thanks for sending CLR copies of your
>letter)! In those letters, we promised that if the situation in the Almond
>factory was not resolved fairly, we would have to notify the customers of
>Michael Anthony Jewelers about these abuses. We must follow through on
>that
>promise!
>
>Below is a sample of a letter to the Home Shopping Network, one major
>retailer of jewelry made in the Almond factory. Please use this letter as
>a
>model for your own letter to HSN. Please also send a copy of your letter
>to
>CLR (clrmain@afgj.org) so we can let you know how many faxes and emails
>were
>sent in all.
>
>*Fax:
>1-914-664-4884
>
>*Mail:
>Barry Diller
>Chairman and CEO
>Home Shopping Network
>1 HSN Drive
>St. Petersburg, FL 33729
>
>*Email:
>gringerid@hsn.net
>
>Dear Barry Diller,
>
>I am writing to express my concern regarding ongoing violations of workers'
>rights that have been reported at the Almond (Thailand) Ltd. a factory in
>Bangkok which manufactures religious and other jewelry distributed by one
>of
>your vendors, Michael Anthony Jewelers, Inc.
>
>The Thai government has ordered Almond to reinstate 41 employees who were
>allegedly fired in retaliation for organizing a union to improve working
>conditions at the factory. Workers at this factory reportedly are paid as
>little as $4 dollars a day - far less than what is required for a living
>wage -- and are exposed to hazardous conditions from molten metal and
>fumes.
>
>
>While Michael Anthony President, Anthony Paolercio, has promised that this
>situation would be resolved, in fact, the reports of abuses against these
>workers appear to be getting worse. On August 9, it was reported that a
>worker from the plant who is a leader of the employees' union, was followed
>and beaten by unknown assailants after leaving the factory.
>
>On August 18, Almond suspended nine more workers, all members of the
>union's
>in-plant committee, for the supposed offense of failing to tuck in their
>shirts. Finally last month, Almond also filed a lawsuit against 20 Almond
>workers for letting the outside world know about violations of worker
>rights
>at the factory. The company's suit seeks damages equal to US$1 million --
>more than 30 years wages for all these workers combined! -- in what
>appears
>to be a blatant attempt to silence these employees.
>
>It is unconscionable that such violations of human and labor rights should
>be associated with any factory, particularly one that produces jewelry that
>bear symbols of religious faith. As a major customer of Michael Anthony
>Jewelry - Almond's sole U.S. distributor - the Home Shopping Network has a
>moral responsibility to help end the injustices that are now being
>perpetrated upon these workers.
>
>I ask that you contact Michael Anthony's president, Mr. Anthony Paolercio,
>Jr., and urge him to help resolve this situation in a manner that respects
>the rights of these workers. I look forward to hearing your intentions.
>Thank you very much.
>
>Sincerely,
>(your name)
>
><><><><><>
>
>BACKGROUND FACT SHEET ON ALMOND LTD.
>
>· Almond International and its subsidiary Almond (Thailand) Ltd. operate a
>jewelry factory in Bangkok, Thailand which employs roughly 600 workers and
>produces gold jewelry, including religious designs.
>
>· Many of the products manufactured in the Almond (Thailand) factory are
>marked "Made in Israel." Unlike Thailand, Israel has a free trade
>agreement
>with the United States covering exports of gold jewelry.
>
>· On January 2, 2001, Almond signed an exclusive U.S. marketing and
>distribution agreement with Mt. Vernon, NY-based Michael Anthony Jewelers,
>Inc.
>
>· Michael Anthony is a leading designer and marketer of gold jewelry with
>over $145 million in sales in its 2000 fiscal year. The company's chief
>executives are Michael and Anthony Paolercio.
>
>· Michael Anthony markets gold jewelry with religious and other designers
>to
>such major retailers as J.C. Penney and the Home Shopping Network.
>
>· Workers at Almond (Thailand) Ltd. earn as little as 165 Thai baht [US$4]
>per day, and work a 6-day week. Workers say they are exposed to burns and
>dangerous fumes from molten metal and acids and are not provided with
>protective equipment or proper medical treatment when injured.
>· In December 2000, after the company took away from workers customary
>compensation equal to two months pay, workers at Almond Thailand formed a
>union.
>· Almond has refused to recognize the union. Immediately after workers
>registered the union with the Thai government, the company illegally fired
>40 union leaders and other employees.
>· On April 19, the Thai government's Labour Relations Commission ordered
>Almond to reinstate the terminated workers, but the company has so far
>defied the order. See:
>http://www.thailabour.org/campaigns/almond/LRCorder.html
>· On August 14, 2001, Almond filed a lawsuit against 20 Almond workers and
>their union for 46 million Thai Baht ($1 million) alleging damages caused
>by
>employees' attempts to publicize violations of worker rights at the
>factory,
>and threatening the elimination of 250 jobs at the plant.
>· On August 23, Almond workers requested the Thai Labour Ministry to
>investigate the unjust suspension of nine workers from the union committee
>who management disciplined for failing to tuck in their shirts --an alleged
>safety violation. The union claims that Almond has done little to address
>the real health and safety hazards to workers in the plant.
>The Almond Workers and their union are supported by the Thai Labour
>Campaign, a private non-profit organization based in Bangkok. For more
>information see: http://www.thailabour.org/campaigns/almond/factsheet.html
>
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