Letter to brands on Chinese Earthquake
Wednesday, 28 May 2008 16:25
The following letter has been sent to leading brands and retailers in the UK urging them to take action to support workers whose families have been affected by the recent earthquake in Sichan province. We are calling on them to ensure that these workers are able to return home and fulfil their family obligations. We are also calling for financial support for workers whose families have been most seriously affected.
Support for workers in the aftermath of Earthquake in Southern China
Dear [brand]
I am writing to highlight our concerns over the potential impact on garment workers of the tragic earthquake which hit the Sichuan Province on May 12th 2008.
LBL believes that UK retailers and brands sourcing from China can take positive action to help any workers from their supplier factories whose families have been caught up in this horrific disaster. Such actions include urging suppliers to allow compassionate leave for workers from earthquake-hit regions, refraining from laying off workers originating from those regions and setting up programmes of financial support for those workers and families most gravely affected.
As you may know, there are millions of migrant workers from Sichuan Province employed in China's industrial areas. Millions more come from the adjacent provinces, such as Gansu and Shaanxi, which have also been affected by the earthquake. Many of these workers need to return home immediately in order to be with family members affected by the disaster or, in some cases, to try to locate missing family members and fulfil responsibilities with respect to family members who have died.
The Guangdong Provincial Labour and Social Security Department has issued an urgent policy memo on this issue. The memo asks all provincial labour officials to urge employers in Guangdong to offer immediate paid leave to workers from affected areas so that they can return home, and to allow them to return to their jobs once their leave is complete. The memo also calls on employers to refrain from laying off workers from these affected regions.
It is imperative for the sake of workers and their families that factory managers act on this guidance from the Guangdong Labour Department. I therefore ask you to contact your suppliers in Guangdong and urge them to provide leave to workers who must return home and that they implement the other aspects of the guidance note. Although, as far as we are aware, it is only the Guangdong authorities who have issued this guidance we feel that, given the circumstances, it would be appropriate for you to contact suppliers in other industrial regions of China and urge them to act in a humane fashion in regard to workers from the affected provinces, particularly those requesting leave.I also urge you to consider working with suppliers to provide some kind of financial assistance to workers whose families have been gravely affected by the earthquake. As I am sure you are aware many migrant workers will not have the financial resources to travel such distance at short notice. Many families will also need to bear considerable and unexpected costs for funerals, medical treatment, housing repairs and so on. Although we recognise that brands have no obligation to take such action, we believe that ensuring financial aid goes to affected workers producing for your brand would be an appropriate and humanitarian response to this emergency situation.
I appreciate your prompt attention to this matter and hope you will feel able to respond positively to this request. If you have any questions about the Guandong policy or this request please feel free to contact either myself or Scott Nova at the Workers Rights Consortium.
I look forward to hearing what steps your company feels able to take on these issues,
Best Wishes
Samantha Maher
Labour Behind the Label
The memo issued by Guangdong Authorities:
