Labour Behind The Label

 

All brands except Debenhams have now responded to the shocking findings of the Taking Liberties report, which revealed workers in India are paid less than half the living wage, live in slum conditions, and have their rights systematically exploited.

The battle to obtain wages high enough to ensure a dignified and decent life is being fought by hundreds of thousands of mainly women garment workers in some of the poorest countries in the world.

On the eve of the European Social Forum in Istanbul, the Global Union representing workers in the sector called for a resolution to the long-standing conflict at the Turkish leather goods factory, Desa. A special workshop was be devoted to the Desa case during the Forum.

Labour Behind the Label is sad to announce the reopening of the campaign to demand justice for workers at the DESA leather factory in Duzce, Turkey.

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June 2010: Two workers have been dismissed since May 2010 and one worker has filed an harassment case against his supervisor at the intimidation of trade union members ramps up again at the DESA factory in Duzce.

Take action to support hundreds of Turkish leather workers at the DESA leather factory

August 2009: Labour Behind the Label is delighted to announce the closure of a year-long campaign against the DESA leather factory in Turkey following a protocol agreement signed by DESA and the Deri Is union.

 

Following thousands of emails sent by Labour Behind the Label and LabourStart supporters to the main buyers at the factory, DESA management finally agreed to meet with the Deri Is union. However despite a succession of meetings no progress has been made. Not a single buyer had agreed to meet with the Deri Is union or to attend a meeting called by the International Textile Garment and Leather Workers Union, set for the 20th December.

Long hours, low wages and appalling conditions were the norm for DESA workers, until in April 2008 they decided to do something to try and change them. With the support of Deri Is (Leather Workers Union) DESA workers started to organise their own trade union in order to demand that things improve.

Since then the management at DESA has been running a campaign of harassment and intimidation against anyone they suspect of being a member of the union. From April to July 2009,  44 workers from the factory were dismissed and a further 55 were forced to resign from the union.