A group of US apparel and retail companies have sent a second protest
letter to the Philippines president over attacks on striking workers at
a garment factory.
The letter, signed by executives from at least eight companies,
including Wal-Mart, Liz Claiborne and Philips-Van Heusen, complains of
violence by armed and bonnet-masked police and security guards on
workers at the Korean-owned factory Chong Won Fashion.
The first letter, sent in November, also brought protests from the
Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce for President Macapagal-Arroyo to
stop political killings.
The Rev Jose P. Dizon, executive director of the Workers’ Assistance
Center, said the protests ‘seemed to have fallen on deaf ears as human
and labour rights violations continue to happen under this government’.
Dizon said the protests had now been endorsed by international human
rights organizations, human rights supporters and advocates, and US and
international law makers.
