TITLE: Police Assault Striking Kukdong Workers

AUTHOR:

PUB: USAS

DATE: January 15, 2000

On Thursday January 12, 2001 at around 10:30pm police in full riot gear attacked the 300 workers that were guarding the Kukdong factory. The police were led by Rene Sanchez Juarez, the leader of the illegitimate unrepresentative union against which the workers have beeen fighting. The group of workers included pregnant women as well as minors. There was an excessive use of force on the part of the police. This was uncalled for considering that once the workers saw the approaching police officers, they threw their arms up in the air and retreated to the exits. Yet they were still hit, pulled, pushed and insulted. At least 15 workers ended up in the hospital and were later released, two still remain hospitalized as of Friday morning. At the time of the arrest, two leaders were violently kidnapped by the judicial police, threatened and then released. The kidnapped leaders were Claudia Ochoterena and Josefina Hernandez (who had written the letter on the previous update). Workers plan to continue mobilizing, despite the company's threat to fire workers who do not return to work, and need support, both moral and political. Please continue to pressure Nike and Kukdong so that there is dialog with the workers and their demands are met. Nike needs to be held responsible for the gross violations of human rights by Kukdong and the Mexican police. Please continue to send solidarity messages. Please send letters calling on Nike to publicly accept responsibility for the situation in Kuk Dong and agree to send a fully authorized representative to Atlixco with specific instructions to meet with the workers' organization to facilitate a resolution and publicly ratify an agreement with the company that meets the workers' following demands: 1) That the company recognize the independent workers' organization, the Kuk Dong Workers' Coalition, as the legitimate representative of the workers and agree to deal with them as such. 2) That Kuk Dong reinstate all illegally fired workers. 3) That Kuk Dong agree not to fire or take reprisals against anyone for having participated in the stoppage or other protests. Letters should be sent to: Philip H. Knight, Chairman and CEO NIKE, Inc. One Bowerman Drive Beaverton, OR 97003-6433 Fax: (503) 671-6300 or via the email addresses of Simon Pestridge Vada Manager Letters to Kukdong fax to 011-52-244-610-24. Letters should also be sent to the following public officials in Mexico, denouncing police violence against a legitimate worker protest, and calling on them to use their leverage to pressure the company to accept the workers' demands. In particular, letters should be sent to the Governor of the State of Puebla, who ordered the police to storm the factory. Lic. Vicente Fox Quesada Presidente de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos Residencia Oficial de los Pinos Col. San Miguel Chapultepec C.P. 11850 Tel. (5) 515-05 28 Fax (5) 515-1794 Lic. Carlos Abascal Carranza Secretaría del Trabajo y Previsión Social Periférico Sur No. 4271, Edif. A, piso 4 Col. Fuentes del pedregal C.P. 14149 Tel. (5) 645-2962 y 645-5591 Fax (5) 645-5594 Lic. Melquíades Morales Flores Gobernador del Estado de Puebla Palacio de Gobierno Col. Centro C.P. 7200 Puebla, Puebla Tel (22) 32-0442 Fax (22) 46-0271 Lic. Roberto González Secretario del Trabajo y Previsión Social del estado de Puebla Edificio SELAFE 31, Poniente 2904 Fraccionamiento El Vergel C.P. 72400 Puebla, Puebla Tel. (22) 49-9076 Fax (22) 30-1670 ext. 300 Lic. Maximiliano Jiménez Ramírez Presidente de la Junta de Conciliación y Arbitraje del estado de Puebla Edificio SELAFE 31, Poniente 2904 Fraccionamiento El Vergel C.P. 72400 Puebla, Puebla Tel. (22) 49-9076 Fax (22) 30-1670 ext. 300 Ing. José Luis Galeazzi Berra Presidente Municipal de Atlixco Plaza de Armas No. 1 Centro C.P. 74200 Tel (244) 500-28 y 502-81 Fax (244) 53406 END top