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Message posted by Guest on October-07-2003 at 2:13pm - IP Logged
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| Guest |
Standard Member
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October-03-2002
2798 Posts |
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ACTION ALERT: IFC decision on Haiti free trade zone on 9 October
The Board of the World Bank's International Finance Corporation (IFC) will
meet on 9 October 2003 to consider financing the development of a free trade
zone on the Haitian/Dominican Border. (For background see
http://www.brettonwoodsproject.org/article.shtml?cmd%5B126%5D=x-126-20154 )
The Haiti Support Group, together with the International Confederation of
Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and the Bretton Woods Project, hasraised serious
concerns about the possibility of labour rights violations in these new factories.
We are urging the IFC Board not to approve the US$23million loan to the
Dominican company, Grupo M, that is building the new free trade zone, unless it
includes a contractual commitment by Grupo M to respect the workers' right to
freedom of association and to bargain collectively, as well as the other core
labour standards.
Below is a letter we have sent to the UK Executive Director to the World
Bank/IMF, which you may wish to use as a basis for your emails/letters. Contacts
for your Executive Director in Washington, DC, USA, can be found at
http://www.bicusa.org/mdbs/wbg/execdir.htm
Here are three of the most important directors:
UK - Thomas Scholar
Fax: 202-623-4965
Email: tscholar@worldbank.org
USA - Carole Brookins,
Fax: 202-477-2967
Email: cbrookins@worldbank.org
France - Pierre Duquesne,
Fax: 202-623-4951
Email: pduquesne@worldbank.org
In solidarity,
Charles Arthur
Haiti Support Group
www.haitisupport.gn.apc.org
Solidarity with the Haitian people's struggle for justice, participatory
democracy and equitable development, since 1992.
_____________________________________________________________________
7 October 2003
Tom Scholar
UK Executive Director
World Bank
Re: Haiti project to go before IFC Board on Thursday 9 October
Dear Mr. Scholar,
We are writing to express the Haiti Support Group's concern about the
possibility that the IFC will finance a project which may lead to the violation of
workers' rights. The project in question, a proposed $23 million loan to the
Dominican company Grupo M for a free trade zone in Haiti, is scheduled to be
considered at the meeting of the IFC Board on Thursday 9 October.
IFC representatives have stated in writing (in a letter to Mr. Charles Arthur
of the UK-based Haiti Support Group) that they can confirm that all of the
workers in the Grupo M project will have the rights to organise unions and
bargain collectively. This promise appears to be based on statements of company
policy and codes of conduct adopted by some of Grupo M's clients. However,
according to Haitian workers' organisations in existing garment assembly factories
in Haiti (and elsewhere), these voluntary codes have proven to be very weak
instruments. On the basis of the very poor record of enforcement of labour rights
in Haiti, and testimonies received from workers in Grupo M factories in the
Dominican Republic (documented by the International Confederation of Free Trade
Unions - ICFTU), there is a risk that these rights will, in fact, be
violated. The Haiti Support Group has recently received reports that workers at the
first phase of Grupo M's operations in the Ouanaminthe free zone were warned by
supervisors that they could not unionise; twenty workers have subsequently
been fired for demanding better employment conditions.
The General Secretary of the ICFTU has written to the IFC's Mr. Woicke to
insist that the IFC's contract with Grupo M must include an obligation to respect
all of the core labour standards. A verbal commitment was made by Mr. Woicke
to a representative of the ICFTU during the IMF/World Bank annual meetings in
Dubai to "consider" the application of the core labour standards to the Grupo
M loan. We urge the IFC Board not to approve this loan unless it includes a
contractual commitment by Grupo M to respect the workers' right to freedom of
association and to bargain collectively as well as the other core labour
standards.
Yours sincerely,
Charly Jeune
Co-Founder,
The MIT Haitian Alliance
http://web.mit.edu/mitha/www/
And
Curricular Initiative for Development Design (CIDD)
http://web.mit.edu/d-lab/www/ |
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Message posted by kreyolbro on October-07-2003 at 10:08pm - IP Logged
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| kreyolbro |
Standard Member
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United States
November-11-2002
433 Posts |
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You guys are waisting your time. Group M could sign anything it wants and still not abide by the agreements. And there are plenty of people in Haiti who would accept to work without those rights.
If you want to stop the project all together and return the land to the farmers, I am on board and I'll spread the word.
kreyolbro@aol.com
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Message posted by CheminFlambert on October-08-2003 at 3:56pm - IP Logged
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| CheminFlambert |
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Standard Member
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United States
December-19-2002
242 Posts |
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I think we should send letters to congressman and women to pressure them to release some of the financial aid they were going to give Haiti. We need to start testing our political strength in this country. The Haitians in Miami seem to understand that.
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The most effective policy towards Haiti is that of the Haitian people
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Message posted by kreyolbro on October-08-2003 at 8:41pm - IP Logged
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| kreyolbro |
Standard Member
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United States
November-11-2002
433 Posts |
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Good point Tijou, Haitian-Americans don't have the political or economic might to force any senators to do anything. Clinton acted to stem the flow of refugees. Every now and then with the help of the Black Caucus Haitian-Americans can get the ear of one or two senators.
Only Haitians in Haiti can make change. All Haitian-Americans can do is give support and maybe raise awareness.
kreyolbro@aol.com
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Message posted by kreyolbro on October-09-2003 at 1:24am - IP Logged
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| kreyolbro |
Standard Member
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United States
November-11-2002
433 Posts |
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Very good Flambert
I think you might be on your own. I know nothing about community building and I don't think many on the sites do. Don't get disapointed if we are unable to contribute.
But we eagerly await your input. Will you be able to find the time..I mean your college classes and projects must keep you busy. We are grateful for any time you can spare and any advice you can give us on the subject. I know I want to build my community.
Thank You
kreyolbro@aol.com
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Topic: Take Action
