Today students from across the UK gathered outside the entrance to Fruit of the Loom’s UK headquarters in Telford. They were protesting about worker repression at a Honduran factory where trade unionists face death threats, targeted dismissal and the eventual closure of their factory.
Students outside Fruit of the Loom
Students die-in to highlight death threats to workers
Fruit of the Loom crushing the workers
Student activists are lay outside the HQ to create a theatrical ‘die-in’ whilst giant ‘Fruits of Doom’ s crushed the bodies of the dead workers. The factory is owned by the Fruit of the Loom subsidiary the Russell Corporation both of whom produce a large proportion of university clothing.
Disgusted students stood in solidarity with the Hondruan workers and demanded that the Russell Corporation are kicked off UK and US campuses in an international; boycott of the clothing company.
A November 2008 report by the Worker Rights Consortium documents threats made by the factory’s management to the workers, stating that the factory would be closing because of workers attempts to join a union.
On the 27th January the Russell Corporation announced that the factory would close within a week leaving 1,800 workers without their livelihoods. The Russell Corporation’s actions violate the worker’s human rights by denying them freedom of association.
Rhiannon Horsley Reading Student Union President and National Union of Students Services Limited (NUSSL) committee member said “The actions of Fruit of the Loom are extremely disturbing and we need to take whatever action is necessary to support the Honduran workers and end the disgusting behaviour of Fruit of the Loom”.
John McDonnell MP, who has tabelled an Early Day Motion on these abuses, said: “The actions of Fruit of the Loom reflect the exploitation endemic in global capitalism - that many workers are still denied basic trade union rights and that people are confronted with insecurity and uncertainty in every area of their life. Yet, we have seen a worldwide rise in action to resist these injustices particularly amongst young people with waves of university occupations and student protests flooding the UK. This demonstration is yet more evidence of the growing international consciousness amongst young people who are not the apathetic consumerists they are so often made out to be”.
The demonstration is part of People and Planet’s Redress Education campaign against sweatshop use in the education sector. For more details see The Worker Rights Consortium's report on the Jerzees de Honduras factory and accompanying documents which can be found at
http://www.workersrights.org/CrisisReRussell.asp.
Disgusted students stood in solidarity with the Hondruan workers and demanded that the Russell Corporation are kicked off UK and US campuses in an international; boycott of the clothing company.
A November 2008 report by the Worker Rights Consortium documents threats made by the factory’s management to the workers, stating that the factory would be closing because of workers attempts to join a union.
On the 27th January the Russell Corporation announced that the factory would close within a week leaving 1,800 workers without their livelihoods. The Russell Corporation’s actions violate the worker’s human rights by denying them freedom of association.
Rhiannon Horsley Reading Student Union President and National Union of Students Services Limited (NUSSL) committee member said “The actions of Fruit of the Loom are extremely disturbing and we need to take whatever action is necessary to support the Honduran workers and end the disgusting behaviour of Fruit of the Loom”.
John McDonnell MP, who has tabelled an Early Day Motion on these abuses, said: “The actions of Fruit of the Loom reflect the exploitation endemic in global capitalism - that many workers are still denied basic trade union rights and that people are confronted with insecurity and uncertainty in every area of their life. Yet, we have seen a worldwide rise in action to resist these injustices particularly amongst young people with waves of university occupations and student protests flooding the UK. This demonstration is yet more evidence of the growing international consciousness amongst young people who are not the apathetic consumerists they are so often made out to be”.
The demonstration is part of People and Planet’s Redress Education campaign against sweatshop use in the education sector. For more details see The Worker Rights Consortium's report on the Jerzees de Honduras factory and accompanying documents which can be found at
http://www.workersrights.org/CrisisReRussell.asp. 
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