Today members of Brighton SolFed delivered letters of protest to two Brighton stores. This was part of an international day of action called by workers in Peru and supported by the International Workers Asscociation (IWA), in response to the sacking of 35 trade unionists. The union members were working in a factory for ‘Topy Top’, one of the major suppliers to high street store Zara, and also a supplier for Gap. Both Zara and Gap stores were visited and letters of protest delivered to local management.
Topy Top is a profitable firm and the largest of Peru’s textile exporters. According to a 2008 report by the Fair Labor Association, in the factory 60+ hour weeks are common, there are no health and safety measures and bullying and “brutal harassment” is routine. Workers have been forming unions to improve these conditions, Topy Top responded by sacking all known union members. This is an unacceptable attack on workers organisation and freedom of association.
