Free Zone Workers take to the street on Saturday 2nd August, 12.00
Starting point Leisure Garments, Route Jardin, Curepipe

29.07.2003

In a joint press conference today, the Komite Travayer Leisure Garments and Lalit announced the holding of a demonstration of free zone workers. Were present in the press conference several workers of Leisure Garments, Rajni Lallah and Ashok Subron for Lalit.

Some 4,000 free zone workers in two of the oldest textiles industries in Mauritius, namely Leisure Garments and Summit Textiles are loosing their jobs at the end of this month. Actively supported by Lalit, a workers committee was set up in Leisure Garments and Summit Textiles. In the last workers’ assembly, some 100 representatives of workers decided to hold a demonstration to protest against the continued refusal of the government to consider workers demands for Redundancy benefits for free zone workers, unemployment benefits and job creation.

A petition based on the above demands, signed by some 1000 workers a month ago, was addressed to the Prime Minsiter with copies to various relevant Ministers and MP’s. The petition has remained unreplied.

Adding insult to injury, the government has just received the bosses of the free zone in the luxurious Domaine des Pailles and has only last week announced that Rs 1 billion of credit will be put at the disposal of the bosses. During the same week the government introduced a bill to increase the salary and life pension of Ministers by some 28% to 40%!

Lalit appeals to all its militants and supporters to actively support this demonstration. All trade union federations of Mauritius have also been invited to participate in this demonstration on the basis of workers’ demands.

The idea of joint actions, involving the participation of sacked free zone workers, in the context of the World Protest Day against the WTO are being discussed by workers representatives. Above all the fundamantal reason for the massive sacking is capitalist globalisation geared by the WTO and the ruling classes.

Please find below a copy one of the invitation leaflets that are being distributed to free zone workers
____________
Manifestasyon Travayer Zonn Frans
Samdi 2 Aout, 12.30
Demaraz, kot Lizinn Leisure Garments, La Route Jardin, Curepipe

Azordi 2,700 travayer dan Leisure Garments
ek 1,100 travayer dan Summit Textiles perdi travay,

dime kapav lezot Lizinn Zonn Frans.

Anou mobilize ansam!

Kamarad travayer Zonn Frans dan rezyon Curepipe/Floreal,

2,700 travayer Leisure Garments ek 1,100 Summit Textiles pe perdi travay sa mwa-la. Zonn Frans net an kriz. Ena ankor buku lisansiman pe vini dan Zonn Frans. Me guvernman pe rod fer travayer tusel sarye fardo sa kriz-la.
Travayer Zonn Frans finn kontribiye buku pu lekonomi pei dan dernye 20-an. San kontribisyon travayer Zonn Frans, kuma nu, pei zame ti pu kot li ete zordi. Patron finn fer bel bel profi lor nu latet pandan plizyer lane. Purtan se nu travayer Zonn Frans ki finn pli mal peye, ki pli explwate. Azordi avek globalizasyon ki pe derule dan lemond, lizinn pe ferme enn deryer lot. Guvernman finn pran enn seri mezir pu sutenir bann patron dan kad sa restriktirasyon dan sekter Zonn Frans. Me pu travayer Zonn Frans pena nanye. Eski se travayer Zonn Frans tusel ki bizin sarye fardo sa bann sanzman ki pe derule dan lemond? Sa li inzist ek inakseptab. Anplis, kan ena sanzman dan lekonomi internasyonal, nu truve ki guvernman met dibut enn plan sutyin pu travayer lezot sekter kuma Lepor ek Lindistri Sikriyer. Kifer pena mem zar plan pu travayer Zonn Frans? Se pu tu sa rezon-la ki Travayer Lesisure Garments avek kudme Lalit pe organiz sa Lamars-la. Nu pe fer bann demand swivan:

Nu pe reklam ki guvernman tu lisansye Zonn Frans, enn alokasyon lisansiman de Rs 2,000 pu enn preyod de 2-an ziska ki nu gayn enn nuvo travay. Sa pu permet nu sirviv ek nuri nu fami kan nu lisansye.

Nu reklam ki met enn vre sistem alokasyon somaz. Somaz ek lisansiman pe monte.

Nu reklam ki guvernman limem kre travay e non pa les sa fonksyon-la inikman dan lame sekter prive.

Sel zafer ki guvernman pe fer se sipoze “formasyon” Sa li pa sifi. Kan nu lisansye nu ena pu nuri nu fami. Buku ant nu finn depas laz kot lot lizinn pu pran nu. Buku finn depas laz pu ki nu swiv kur. Mem si swiv kur, nu pa garanti gayn travay ayer. Si nu uver ti-biznes, pa sir li marse. Nu riske fini dan det. La-mem kan nu pe lisansye, nu dan traka akoz ena ant nu ki ena lonn, ena finn pran lartik lor kredi, ena, pe repey NHDC. Nu le travay ek sekirite danplwa.

Alor Komite Travayer Leisure Garments ansam avek Lalit, finn pran desisyon pu fer enn Lamars pu reklam ki guvernman pran kont nu travayer Zonn Frans. Nu invit u ek u kamarad osi pu vini. Zordi li Leisure Garments ek Summit Textiles. Dime li kapav u. Si nu separe, nu feb. Si nu ansam, nu for. Nu dimann tu travayer Zonn Frans dan rezyon Kirpip, ki kapav organize pu osi partisip dan Lamars-la.

Samdi le 2 Aout, anu montre guvernman ki nu serye dan seki nu pe dimande. Travayer lezot lizinn dan rezyon Kirpip-Lesid osi invite pu vinn ar nu. Anu montre guvernman ki nu travayer, nu ini dan nu muvman. Nu pu marse dan lord, dan lape, nu pu pass La route Jardin ek nu pu fini nu lamars kot Bazar Curepipe. Lapolis deza informe lor sa Lamars-la. Minisipalite osi. Alor randevu Travayer Textiles ansam avek Travayer Leisure Garment, Samdi 2 Aout 12.30. Nu pu marse ziska Centre Curepipe. Amenn enn parapli avek u lakoz letan Kirpip.
Si u an retar, vinn zwenn nou kot lantre Jardin Botanique, Curepipe.


Mukesh Saulick pu Komite Travayer Leisure Garments & Rajni Lallah pu Lalit
C/o 153 Main Rd, GRNW, Port Louis - Tel 208-2132, 208-5551
Printed by LPT, GRNW, P.Louis