May 1st is International Workers Day! This day began to commemorate Chicago workers’ fight for the eight hour work day and the right to organize. In Haiti, garment workers are fighting for these essential rights. Batay Ouvriye, an independent workers’ movement in Haiti, and their affiliated textile unions – SOTA, SOKOWA & SOVAGH –
After more than two weeks of striking, workers and union members of SOTA at H&H Textiles factory returned to work this morning. Tuesday 4/18/17, SOTA union members met with management to negotiate the workers’ demands. The workers went on strike because of incessant harassment, intimidation and arbitrary firings for union members. As part of this
May 1st, International Workers Day, is approaching. In Haiti, garment workers are doing battle for their basic rights to a union and to represent themselves. April 2 – a conflict broke at at Quality Sewing factory. Workers stopped work in protest over the firing of union members and leaders. Management called on CIMO, the equivalent
If you’ve been following RRN updates, you know there is a lot happening in Haiti at the moment: In Ouanaminthe, SOKOWA textile union in the Codevi Free Trade Zone is fighting a 13% wage tax. (Click here for more info). In Carrefour, SOTA textile union at H&H Textiles is striking also. They are fed up
Yesterday we reported about the ongoing strike at H&H Textiles in Carrefour, Haiti, led by the union SOTA-BO. (Click here to read that past update for more info.) Workers are rightfully fed up. They struggle to exist on misery wages, and are constantly harassed, intimidated and physically attacked for asserting their right to organize. Their
In January, SOTA-BO textile workers union at H&H Textiles in Carrefour, Haiti were ready to strike to force management to re-hire five women workers & union members who were unjustly fired. To avoid a work stoppage, H&H rehired three of the five workers. At the H&H factory, workers and union members constantly face arbitrary firings,
It’s true, as citizens, we must pay taxes or tariffs. However, we must see where it’s going. In Haiti, DGI is collecting taxes and tariffs but as citizens we never get services. We have to do whatever we can to live without the services the state owes us. There are no roads, no electricity, no
In Haiti, there are virtually no state-provided services. Roads are a mess and basic infrastructure is missing in most places throughout the country. On January 31, 2017, workers of the SOKOWA textile trade union, working in the Codevi Trade Zone in Ounaminthe, went on strike and took the streets protesting a 13% tax on their
Ounaminthe, Haiti – On January 31, 2017, workers of the SOKOWA textile trade union, working in the Codevi Trade Zone, went on strike and took the streets protesting a 13% tax on their wages. Thousands of other workers and other people joined them to march. While a wage tax sounds like a normal practice, this
Last week, SOTA-BO and Haitian garment workers has a small victory in their fight for the right to organize. Five women – known union members and leaders – were arbitrarily fired.* (Click here to read more about this.) Workers are fed up. Every day is a fight to exist. Most work 12-16 hour days. They