22 June

According to reports from the CCC network, garment workers have held a symbolic hunger strike calling for the reinstatement of 3000 retrenched workers of the Windy Group, which supplies H&M and ZARA, and against union busting. Three thousand workers have been retrenched among eight factories under the Windy Group, such as from the Saybolt Tex Ltd, Windy Wet & Dry Process Ltd and Tanaz Fashions Ltd. The National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) made clear that the retrenchment has been done intentionally and with the purpose of busting workers' union and union forming process. For example, when workers from Saybolt Tex Ltd tried to bring back union activities, all 1600 workers were retrenched by management. At Windy Wet & Dry Process Ltd., 200 workers were dismissed after submitting the union papers for registration to the Labour Ministry. At Tanaz Fashion Ltd., 1200 workers were dismissed after starting to unite in order to form a union. NGWF also points out that the 300 workers were not also paid fully according to law and agreement with management. In response to these actions, representatives of garment workers' from the three mentioned factories organised a hunger strike, yesterday, in front of National Press Club.