A Union is a Right, Not a Luxury

From Eric Lee at LabourStart:

I doubt if many of you regularly buy leather goods sold by Prada, LouisVuitton, Mulberry and Nicole Farhi. These are luxury brands, priced toohigh for ordinary working people like us.
But the people who make those products are often low-paid, non-unionworkers. When those workers stand up and fight for their rights, it'sour responsibility to stand with them.

Earlier this year, hundreds of workers at the Turkish leathermanufacturer DESA -- which produces for all the luxury brands mentionedabove -- joined a union. The reaction of the company was fierce: 44union members were sacked, and 50 more compelled to quit the union.
Nevertheless, the workers have stood firm, holding daily protestsoutside the factory. Local police have been called in to arrest them,and bribes offered to union leaders to call off the demonstrations.Families have been threatened.

Workers at DESA need a union urgently. They complain of poverty wages,long hours and terrible health and safety conditions.

Please take a moment to send off a message to DESA's customers -- theluxury fashion brands -- telling them that you support the DESA workersin their struggle:

http://www.labourstart.org/desa

Tell them that a union is right, not a luxury.