A court has issued an order silencing five Indian labour organizations
that have protested about work conditions imposed by a company
producing garments for large European and US labels.
The move follows a temporary restraining order granted in July to the
owner of the Fibres and Fabrics International (FFI) and Jeans Knit
(JKPL) factories. Local trade unions had made allegations about
workplace and health and safety standards at the companies.
FFI, whose garments go to international brand name companies, including
Ann Taylor, Armani, Gap, G-Star, Guess, Mexx and RaRe, is now under
criticism for obtaining the gagging order.
Esther de Haan, co-ordinator of the international secretariat of the
Clean Clothes Campaign, the international garment workers’ rights
group, which has backed the protests, said: ‘Instead of engaging in a
constructive dialogue with the local organizations to resolve the
outstanding problems, FFI management went to court to silence them.’
Ashim Roy, president of the Garment and Textile Workers’ Union (GATWU)
and general secretary of the New Trade Union Initiative (NTUI), said:
‘The grounds for constraining our freedom of expression are not proper
and reasonable, and not consistent with the constitution and its
interpretations given by the supreme court of this country with respect
to the freedom of expression.’
He said the unions would observe the order but would appeal against it in the high court.
The order was granted by the court of the Bangalore city civil judge
against Civil Initiatives for Development and Peace, the Clean Clothes
Campaign Indian Task Force, the Women Garment Workers’ Front, the GATWU
and the NTUI. The unions are backed by the Clean Clothes Campaign and
the India Committee of The Netherlands, a non-governmental organization
working for deprived groups in Indian society.
FFI has also threatened legal action against the two supporting
organizations. The Clean Clothes Campaign is in talks with clients of
the two factories about putting pressure on them through their supply
chain.
