Support sweatshop workers in the struggle to improve their working conditions and organize! Management fired union activists, death threats made.
FF Mercantil runs a sweatshop in Araxa, Brazil. It produces football shoes, uniforms, clothing and other accessories for the Lotto and Finta brands. The working conditions are poor - long hours and work weeks, excessive heat, fumes from glue, insufficient pay. The workers began to organize themselves. That is when the repression began.
A member of the COB-AIT was fired for this reason, as were several of his colleagues. What is more, some goons showed up at the office of the union in Araxa, threatening people with "pistoleros". Such hired thugs are known to shoot inconvenient unionists. The boss's henchmen also tried to take photos of those present.
We cannot let the bosses get away with such behaviour! A support campaign is underway. You can send an email protest using the form on the page: www.lotto.zsp.net.pl. There is also more information about the case there, in different languages.
The workers are demanding an 8-hour work day, a 5-day working week, air conditioning and extra pay for working in hazardous conditions.
COB has called for a boycott of the Lotto and Finta brands as a way to put pressure on them. BTW, the Lotto webpage contains a bullshit self-promotional blurb on "corporate responsibility" while it is using sweatshop labor to produce its goods!
Pass this news on and please support the workers' struggle today!
Comments
Finta is not present in our
Finta is not present in our local market, but Lotto is. Lotto sponsors a few football clubs and makes clothes for them, for fans and also for the general retail market. One idea for a possible support action is to spread the word about the sweatshop and repression amongst the fans.