Tuesday 24 May 2011

Wrong News by SOMO / ICN

Wrong News by SOMO / ICN  "Captured by Cotton. Exploited Dalit girls produce garments in India for European and US markets" . by. SOMO 

I was shocked to see the wrong news being published by the SOMO / ICN.

It just complains about factories even for their right things.


As a start I'm putting my comments here. Sure lot of comments are pumping up from lot of people  & will post the realities.
________________________________________________


I'm surprised to see the arguments of SOMA on the way the workers spend their money.

Its the earning of the workers & they can spend it on their own. They can buy clothes, land or they can give to their family.

Thats all dependent on the wish of the worker. What the factory can do on that?

Dowry is prohibited as per Indian Law. If SOMA found dowry is still existing, what the factory can do on that?

It has to be taken to the Government. Not with the factory.

Factory can't be held responsible for the dowry or the girls marriage.

What you require from the factory? That only SOMO / ICN should ask them. Like


1) Minimum wages should be paid

2) No child labour

3) Labour Laws of the Naation where the factory is existing is met.

4) What else is required...


I had a discussion with a social worker in Tirupur and he told me the shocking news.
Also it is very cruel by the SOMO that it is trying to create a Caste / religion issue in the textile field. Daliths were doing only low level jobs including cleaning toilets. Now the textile industry is giving them equal opportunities along with all other caste workers and giving same wages. By this way their symbol of low rated jobs are now getting started  abolished. Atleast this will reduce the symbol in atleast 2decades. There is NO difference in the treatement of those dalith workers in textile field at all. But this SOMO / ICN creating unwanted problems & the clients starting to reduce orders. By this way thefactories are going to have very less or NO orders and they have no other go except shutting down the factories. This will end up with lot of unemployment issue & the consequences will be terrible.


The negative mentality of the SOMO will lead to creating huge unemployment


Then the dalith workers will go back to their lower jobs like Cleaning toilets etc..

A message from a Teacher reveals all wages calculations made by SOMO were totally wrong & done intentionally to create issue.

I'm a school teacher for mathematics and also a social worker. I have  evaluated the full report by SOMO & found the below inaccurices.
1) The author mentioned the paid wage as 60 Rupees = 0.88 Euro  ( He took Euro @ 68)  (Page no.: 12.  para 3. Line 4)
    Next line he mentioned to be paid wage is Rupees 1,85,000 = Euro 2900. (He took Euro @ 63) !!
    This shows the author's intention was to blame on the factories than bring out the realities. He used wrong value in same para!!
2) Also he mentioned Minimum wage per day is rupees 171 X 30 days = 5,130 per month.
                                But if the worker works 26 days   171 X 26 days = 4,446 per month 
    So does SOMO want the workers to work 7 days a week?!!
I feel the report is made to create wrong publicity & doesnot have intrest on the workers.

Factory spending huge money for swimming pool to workers. But SOMO / ICN critisize this too..


In south India water is very scarcity & only star hotels having swimming pools.  It seems the factory is buying water for its swimming pools. Its very expensive to maintain a swimming pool. But the factory is doing this for the welfare of the workers.Its upto the workers wish to use it or not. But instead of appreciating the initiative by factory, SOMO/ICN is critisizing the factory. This seems the intention on SOMA/ICN is not the welfare of workers. They just want to complain. 

Johny from swiss reveals - Holland is supporting Drugs & prostitution. 10% of people lives below poverty line. But SOMO / ICN take no steps for that.














I'm Johny from Swiss its too funny that the dutch guys spending money & efforts to comment on the factories where they produce food & shelter for their living.
In Amsterdam Drugs (Only for holland passport holders) & prostitution is allowed. Such a worst country in the EU is Dutch.
This creates lot of crimes & spoils the living standards of the people & the value of the country.
In Holland 10% of population is below the poverty line & starving for food. They do more crimes for their living.

Message from Madesh shows 365 workers passed their Higher Secondary schooling while working in a factory.


I had seen an article in India's national newspaper Hindu. ( here is the online version : Click here to view the Hindu news online ). Also the same was published in Indian Express.
About 365 workers completed their Higher Secondary schooling this year from a mill. The top scorer among the workers got more than 88% marks. (1058 out of 1200). Since year 2006, about 7,000 candidates working in the mill have completed school or college education through private study or distance education. If the workers don't have time (If they work overtime) how come these education is possible?

NO response from ECCJ / SOMO / ICN regarding the facts published in this blog.

Further to the comments by various persons in the forums, SOMO youtube sites there is NO response from SOMO / ICN / ECCJ about the comments and this blog. This clearly indicates that the information posted in the blog are correct & the report made by them is only to create negative publicity on the factories or they just put it to show that they are existing..

To my surprise there is NO response from SOMO/ECCJ even they were contacted by Mr.Madesh via email yesterday who has explained the facts on our blog.

a) Here is the contacted ECCJ personals & their responses.

No. Name / Position                                   Response
1)    Ruth Casals, Coordinator                    Auto response- Out of office. His colleagues will respond.
2)    Gustavo Hernández, Campaigner         NO response
3)    Yolaine Delaygues, Campaigner          NO response
4)    Maeve McLynn, Assistant                   NO response

 b) We contacted SOMO at    info@ somo email & also via contact form. There also NO response

  c) WE contacted ICN also and got incomplete response. (details in below separate post)

 Further I am going to contact all the ECCJ, SOMO & ICN today with the facts and asking them for their response.

Will post in the blog with the updates.


Amsterdam (Holland) child sex trade goes deeper underground !!

Here is the article published on the grounds of child prostitution, pornography in the Holland. Even 12 year girls are found to be in this worst situation.

Few of the web links are given for your reference which includes the famous Guardian.co.uk article

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/aug/18/loverboy-child-prostitution-netherlands
http://www.rapecrisiscenter.org/milford01072011.html
http://www.unhchr.ch/Huridocda/Huridoca.nsf/0/eee276066375879b8025689600531c70?Opendocument
http://www.tribune.ie/archive/article/2001/mar/04/amsterdam-child-sex-trade-goes-deeper-underground/

Does SOMO, ICN, ECCJ any gang which complains the factories take any step for their country? Why don't they clean the shit on their faces before commenting others back?







Incomplete & Incorrect reply from ICN - Full history

I have contacted all of the ICN members & after  reminders, I got a incomplete & incorrect reply from ICN (Mr.Gerard Oonk) . Details are here.

Our 1st mail to ICN - & Reminders were also sent

Hi,

I have read your 38 page report titled " captured by cotton" which is totally false report. I have collected lot of informations / comments from the relevant people & published the same in my blog http://www.alexvillipin.blogspot.com/
Many of the comments are with clear points & valid proof against your publication. The blog describes how the report is trying to create religious/caste issue which is not existing. All workers including dalits are given equal salary, opportunities & facilities. But your article criticizes daliths being appointed in Textile factories. There is no religious/caste difference among the textile factories. Also your report trying to make facttories responsible for dowry & marriage. If your team found dowry in India even it was prohibited by law, then you should have raised the same with the Government. Factory has nothing to with that.
Also there were proof of factory workers passing their schoolings in large numbers every year & top scorers getting distinction marks. 365 students passed Higher secondary scooling this year alone . Still lot have written their High school & gratuation exams and waiting for the results from the authorities. If they are working more than 8 hours, it will not be possible. The news has come in the India's National newspaper "The Hindu" and second most read paper "Indian Express". 
The wages calculations made in the report were entirely made against the actuals. Even with lot of calculation mistakes with the intention to blame the factories. Its rediculous that SOMO / ICN demanding workers to work for 30 days a month (all 7 days a week!!)
Also your report criticizes even the aminities provided by the factories. A factory is buying water (even from water scarcity) and maintaining swimming pools like star hotels for the workers. Its the wish of the workers to utilize it or not. But your report criticizes that too.
These all proves that SOMO / ICN/ ECCJ doesnot have any real intention on the welfare of the workers & just blaming the factories
I tried to put my comments on SOMO / ICN/ ECCJ websites. But intentionally these don't accept the comments & only spreading the false reports & forcefully spreading the lies.

If you are really believing what you are saying, then be realistic and give your prompt reply for the contents on the article. Same way either you allow us to put our comments or you modify your false report.

Await your prompt & factual response.
** Futher I was told that Holland law allows Drugs (Even served with a Menu card in Coffee shops) & prostitution. Also more than 10% of Holland people live below the poverty line & the crime rate is very high in Holland. I personally suggest SOMO / ICN/ ECCJ & their connected team first concentrate on your own country and rectify these huge issues before complaining other countries. Don't just complain only because you have the media & getting lot of  money from various government / Factories / Retailers in the name of donation.

Best Regards,
Alex Villipin


Reply from Gerard Oonk of  ICN

Sir,

Your reading of our report as well as you comments are extremely biased. We are nor
creating caste divisions. We plainly state the fact that most of the ''Sumangali girls'' are Dalit
girls or OBC girls, quoting from other publications by Indian organizations. That makes them
extra vulnarable to the ongoing exploitation.

Likewise, there have been a large number of publications in Indian newspapers with the
same analyses on the situation of the girls as well as other reports by reputed Indian and
international organizations.

Also (see the report) a number of companies have publicly admitted that the problems
described exist.  They don't like to say that because it is not in their interests, but so many
repoprts from different sides now they cannot just deny it.

Best,

Gerard Oonk


directeur Landelijke India Werkgroep
Mariaplaats 4e,  3511 LH Utrecht
tel. 030-2321340
www.indianet.nl

Lees het Jaarverslag van de LIW: http://www.indianet.nl/jaarverslag2009.html
en de nieuwe India Actief 23: http://www.indianet.nl/actiefl.html




Our Next recent mail to ICN


Hi,

Thanks for your reply for the part of the mail.

However I'm not satisfied with your part reply since you have NOT at all answered the full points. (Now i had marked the original mail with point numbers ). I would like to have your reply for all the points. Even you didn't answer for the total wrongness in the wages calculation to to create false image on the factories.

Also further to your reply, the article about dalith you are mentioning is not connected with Tamil Nadu textiles factory. But you are using that info against the textile companies. Also the companies accepted about dalith is NOT these 4 factories mentioned in SOMO/ICN 38 page article. So this itself prove your wrong intension complaining some factories with some other region or factories mistake. Also we need the English version of the articles which you sent to me. (They in dutch & we need english).

So I await for the prompt reply on all the said points.


Best Regards,

Alex Villipin

---------------------Below is the original message with point nos. ------------------

I have read your 38 page report titled " captured by cotton" which is
totally false report. I have collected lot of informations / comments
from the relevant people & published the same in my blog
http://www.alexvillipin.blogspot.com/
1) Many of the comments are with clear points & valid proof against your

publication. The blog describes how the report is trying to create
religious/caste issue which is not existing. All workers including
dalits are given equal salary, opportunities & facilities. But your
article criticizes dalits being appointed in Textile factories. There
is no religious/caste difference among the textile factories. Also
your report trying to make factories responsible for dowry & marriage.
If your team found dowry in India even it was prohibited by law, then
you should have raised the same with the Government. Factory has
nothing to with that.
2) Also there were proof of factory workers passing their schooling in

large numbers every year & top scorers getting distinction marks. 365
students passed Higher secondary schooling this year alone . Still lot
have written their High school & graduation exams and waiting for the
results from the authorities. If they are working more than 8 hours,
it will not be possible. The news has come in the India's National
newspaper "The Hindu" ( visit here :
http://www.hindu.com/2011/05/21/stories/2011052161920700.htm   ) and
also in second most read paper "Indian Express".
3) The wages calculations made in the report were entirely made against

the actuals. Even with lot of calculation mistakes with the intention
to blame the factories. Its bad that SOMO / ICN demanding workers to
work for 30 days a month (all 7 days a week!!)
4) Also your report criticizes even the amenities provided by the

factories. A factory is buying water (even from water scarcity) and
maintaining swimming pools like star hotels for the workers. Its the
wish of the workers to utilize it or not. But your report criticizes
that too.

These all proves that SOMO / ICN/ ECCJ doesnot have any real intention
on the welfare of the workers & just blaming the factories
I tried to put my comments on SOMO / ICN/ ECCJ websites. But
intentionally these don't accept the comments & only spreading the
false reports & forcefully spreading the lies.

If you are really believing what you are saying, then be realistic and
give your prompt reply for the contents on the article. Same way
either you allow us to put our comments or you modify your false
report.

Await your prompt & factual response.

5) ** Futher I was told that Holland law allows Drugs (Even served with a

Menu card in Coffee shops) & prostitution. Also more than 10% of
Holland people live below the poverty line & the crime rate is very
high in Holland. I personally suggest SOMO / ICN/ ECCJ & their
connected team first concentrate on your own country and rectify these
huge issues before complaining other countries. Don't just complain
only because you have the media & getting lot of  money from various
government / Factories / Retailers in the name of donation.

Best Regards,

Alex Villipin
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