The General Secretariat of the Autonomous Central of Haitian Workers (CATH) strongly condemns the waves of layoffs under the false pretext of lack of raw materials. Last year, more than four thousand (4,000) workers were laid off, while at the beginning of this year, more than three thousand five hundred (3,500) from different modules of S&H Global have suffered the same fate.
The CATH openly expresses its disagreement that after many years of working for this company for a pittance, these workers are thrown out of work because of these unjustified decisions. At the same time, the CATH formally demands that the S&H Global Company as well as the Buyers such as Target, Sanmar, Trim CARD, Old NAVY, Walmart to name a few, pay substantial damages to the Victims of these acts of illegal dismissals outside of the labor standards.
The CATH could not have imagined that these Brands (Buyers) would have agreed with S&H Global to maintain the Haitian working class in modern slavery while benefiting from the complicit silence of the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Mr. Pierre Ricot Odney. The latter, since his arrival at the head of the aforementioned ministry, has never done anything to protect the workers, in any way, especially those of the S&H Global Industrial Park in Caracol.
However, the CATH would like to remind the national public opinion and the International Class-Oriented Labor Movement that the managers of S&H Global have always practiced the same anti-union, anti-democratic policy. It is a daily practice of the General Manager Christian Chung who always conspires with the managers of the other modules of S&H Global to implement this policy of savage oppression against the union leaders and union members while practicing a policy of exploitation to excess.
On the basis of these considerations, the CATH formally demands clear and precise explanations regarding the contributions of the ONA and OFATMA, and the different types of indemnities paid by S&H Global. If not, they must be reimbursed to the workers who have been dismissed?
The CATH denounces once again the oppressive, anti-union and anti-democratic policy of which Atil Enaut, Tony Joseph and Junior R. Joseph were victims in 2019. And The CATH does not want to let this opportunity pass to demand once again reparations and compensation for our three Comrades severely punished and then thrown in jail for having organized the strike of November 2018 to demand better working conditions as well as a salary increase. Which, in the eyes of Christian Chung and the S&H Global officials represented a crime, which had to be punished with the utmost rigor. SYNOTRASHG/CATH remains open to all negotiations both in Haiti and abroad in order to obtain reparations for all victims of injustice. And, it will be justice.
In conclusion, the CATH demands that S&H Global put an end to all forms of oppression and anti-union policies practiced outside of labor standards. CATH calls for Active Solidarity with the International Class-Oriented Labor Movement and those in the U.S. to force S&H Global and the Buyers to compensate all workers who are victims of these Shocking and Revolting Injustices.
Long live the Labor struggle
Reparations for the victimized workers
Long live the CATH
Fignole ST-CYR
General Secretary