20090521 Taiwan Labor Group Protest against Apple's Sweatshop Factory

STOP EXPLOITING LABOURS, SAY NO TO BLOODY APPLE.

Time: 21 May 2009 (Thursday) AM10: 00 (about 60 people)

Place: Apple Computer Taiwan

(No.333, Sec. 2, Dunhua S. Rd., Da-an Dist., Taipei City, Taiwan)

Contact: Chu Wei-Li (0981-238-732)

English Contact: Torrent Pien (torrent.org@gmail.com)

Global financial crisis remains serious all over the world but Apple
Computer made an extremely big profit increase by 15% at Q1 '09
compared to the last quarter. However, the truth is that the big
profit Apple made has been proved to be the result of exploiting the
workers not only in Taiwan but also in mainland China.

WINTEK (Owner: Huang Hsien-Hsiung, Address: No.10, Jianguo Rd., Tanzih
Township, Taichung County, Taiwan) is one of the major suppliers of
Apple Computer. The ranking of market share in small size mobile phone
panels and touch panels is No.1 in Taiwan and No.3 worldwide. In the
last couple months, WINTEK not only laid off but also exploited lots
of workers in Taiwan and mainland China.

In Dec. 2008, WINTEK laid off over 600 workers in Taiwan without any
notice in advance and kept cutting workers' salary, forcing unpaid
leaves on employees. Recently, WINTEK received big and urgent orders
and tried to force workers to do more job without any vacation or
overtime salary. The labour department of Taiwan government has
already found proofs of offenses during the inspection process on
WINTEK. Besides, WINTEK's factories in Dongguan also cut workers'
salary without any negotiation with them. Last but not the least, the
food there is too bad for people and WINTEK has illegally laid off 19
workers who joined the strike against the foul working condition.

Apple Computer and WINTEK made their profit by sacrificing labours'
basic rights and exploiting labours illegally. Labour organizations
worldwide can't stand aside for it and has started a campaign to
condemn WINTEK.

Labour organizations in Taiwan and WINTEK workers union will protest
on May 21st, 2009 at Apple Computer Taiwan and ask Apple / WINTEK to
promise to improve the working conditions before May 31st, 2009, "Stop
exploiting the labours across the Taiwan Strait."

Appeals / Demands

1. Apple must follow the international Supplier's Code of Conduct and
demand WINTEK to give the jobs back to the workers who were laid off
in Taiwan and mainland China, withdraw the lawsuit of defamation, and
promise no retaliation on workers.

2. Apple must follow the international Supplier's Code of Conduct to
demand WINTEK to improve its working condition immediately.

3. Apple must demand WINTEK to allow third-party labour unions or
organization to enter the factories to conduct inspections on its
working condition, explain the fact of the event in public and look
into the responsibility. Besides, Apple should review its order to
WINTEK based on the results of the inspection and WINTEK's
improvement.

4. Apple must respect the will of the representatives of labours and
make direct talks with them. These representatives should be chosen by
WINTEK workers in Taiwan and mainland China.

Organizations:
Taiwan: National Federation of Independent Trade Unions, WINTEK
bargaining team, Solidarity Union, Youth labor union 95, Taiwan Labor
Information & Education Association, Confederation of Trade Union in
Taipei City, Taoyuan County, Hsinchu County, Miaoli County, Tainan
County and Kaohsiung County.
HongKong: Globalization Monitor, SACOM, HKCTU, Labour Action China
Mainland China: China Worker Studies
Japan: Asian Pacific Workers Solidarty Links

人權，遙遠又接近的議題

這次代表協會到捷克參加NGO市集(NGO Market)，在布置攤位的時候，發現隔壁的攤位寫著大大的中文字「表達自由」與「尊重人權」，在舉目望去全都是看不懂的捷克文的世界中，當然馬上就抓住了我的目光。

這是國際特赦組織捷克分會，在會場展示他們的主張與世界各地的救援活動，現場也邀請訪客連署釋放兩位中國人權民運人士，聽到這裡，我心中興起複雜的情緒。

「中國人權民運人士」，這個詞彙讓我感覺既接近又遙遠。近的是中國就在台灣的對面，遠的是人權這個議題不知道已經有多久沒有出現在我的腦袋中，而複雜的是，竟然有一個遠在天邊的國家在關心這個議題。

捷克因為曾為共產國家，讓他們現在不僅重視人權，也很願意將他們從共產國家成為自由民主國家的經驗分享出去，那天展覽幾乎所有停駐下來的訪客都會參與連署。

看著與我年紀差不多大的年輕人向訪客耐心解釋中國的人權問題，我在心中相當敬佩他們，於是在這坐飛機要花一天才能到達的國家，我獻出連署人權議題的第一次。