Monika Gaertner-Engel
Initiator and European Coordinator
of the World Women’s Conference
of Grassroot Women
Schmalhorststr. 1c, D-45899 Gelsenkirchen
gaertner-engel@web.de
18.07.2015
Dear Joly, dear workers of Swan Garment! 
I want to express my strong solidarity with your sit in protest for the payment of outstanding salaries and festival bonuses!
Your common struggle with over 1.300 employees is brave, justified and needs international solidarity.
I strongly condemn the police attack, in which some workers were injured. I also blame the bureaucrats for ignoring the protesting RMG workers’ plights.
I am very happy to notice, that a lot of female workers are a strong part of this struggle. As one of the European coordinator for the next World Women’s Conference of grass root women 2016 in Nepal Kathmandu, it is a great concern that the women of the world are growing closer and closer together and consider their struggles as a common struggle against exploitation and oppression all over the world. I would be very happy to see some of you at the World Women’s Conference, so that we can share our experiences.
In Germany also, we are facing major challenges. Last year the international company General Motors shut down a big factory, where more than 3.000 workers were employed. The workers waged a major battle against this closure and have learned a lot. More and more have realized that against the class enemy you can only defend yourself when strongly organized. The women of the workers have also joined forces to lead the struggle together with their husbands. The Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany (MLPD) has fully supported this fight, with all of its know-how.
This year the national coal-mine company, with support from the government, plan to shut down one of the last coal-mine, with more than 4.000 workers and in the next year they plan to shut down all coal-mines, which exist in Germany. They want to do this, to open the door to the environmentally destructive method of fracking, a method for the extraction of deep underground gas.
So you can see, the solely ruling international finance capital is trying to destroy our lives all over the world. So we have to strengthen our struggles and learn to do this as a part of the international struggle against our common enemy.
I wish you much success for your struggle, that you can strengthen your organization.
I will be happy if you report more about your struggle.
Best wishes
your Monika Gaertner-Engel
Workers of the world, Unite!
Garment Workers’ Trade Union Centre
Mukti Bhaban, 2 Comrade Moni shingha Road, Purana Paltan, Dhaka-1000
www.gwtuc.org; www.facebook.com/gwtuc; +8801924150250
Need Your Support and Solidarity
Workers of the Swan Garment are struggling for three months
Continuous sit in protest is going on since 12th July
Dear Friends and Comrades,
Revolutionary greetings from Bangladesh.
Swan Garment factory is one of the factories which are situated in Dhaka city, capital of Bangladesh. This Factory is owned by a Chinese owner. Around 1300 workers worked in this factory, among them 80% are young women. On last 10 April the owner, all of a sudden, declared the closure of the factory, without giving the salaries and other benefits due to the workers. However, workers forced the owner to give them the salary of the month of March and the owner promised to give other financial benefits which are due to them. But the promise was never kept and still the workers are struggling to get their arrears salary and other dues. Firstly, the sudden closure without giving notice is illegal according to the law of the country. Secondly, the owner is obliged to pay all other arrears and dues, for which the workers are fighting now. Now the Workers have been continuously sitting day and night, even amidst heavy rain, in front of the National Press Club by the side of one of the main roads, at the center of the city.
However the Govt. just ignored the protest and the stage of workers and did not take any step to meet the most genuine legal demand to pay the arrears.
Now the Eid festival, which is the most important religious festival of the Muslim community, has arrived. Still the workers have not been paid their arrears. Even on the Eid day workers had to make their protest by the side of the road, and they could not take part in the social festival, which is so unusual in our society. Govt is still behaving most irresponsibly.
Our demand is 1) Immediately arrears and bonus should be paid 2) The factory, which is illegally closed, should be reopened 3) The false charges and cases should be withdrawn.
Under such circumstances, We request you to express your solidarity with the workers of Swan Garment, so that it may put pressure on the government and help the workers to fulfill their legal demands.
Workers of the world, Unite!
Monzur Moin
Secretary, International Affairs
Garment Workers’ Trade Union Center
Bangladesh
| 1 | FOOTLOCKER | USA | CARGO PANT, SHORTS, DENIM |
| 2 | BEST SELLER | DENMARK | TROUSERS |
| 3 | BONPRIX | GERMANY | BOY’S, MAN’S & LADIES TROUSERS, KIDS & LADIES SKIRTS |
| 4 | EARNESTING FAMILY | GERMANY | BOY’S TROUSERS |
| 5 | ALDI | GERMANY | TROUSERS, SHORTS |
| 6 | LIDL | GERMANY | TROUSERS, SHORTS, BURMUDA & SKIRTS |
| 7 | NORTHERN GATEWAY | CANADA & U.S.A | 5-POCKET BASIC -ZIP OFF NAD CARGO PANTS. |
| 8 | NEXT | UK | TROUSERS, SHORTS |
| 9 | MACY’S | USA | BOY’S & MAN’S TROUSERS |
| 10 | PIAZZA ITALIA | ITALY | CHINO TROUSERS |
| 11 | MERO GROUP | GERMANY , UK | MAN’S , BOY’S & LADIES TROUSERS |
| 12 | CORONA | ITALY | TROUSERS |
| 13 | DUNNES STORES | IRELAND | TROUSERS AND SHORT PANTS |
| 14 | WAL MART | USA | TROUSERS AND SHORTS |
| 15 | MACKAYS | UK | TROUSERS AND SHORTS |
The list of the buyers of Swan Garment is herewith