Message of solidarity

Through the Committee for a Workers’ International and its Indian section Dudiyora Horaata, we have been informed about the devastating effect on the health of the people in your community and the environment caused by the wrongdoings of Unilever. The profit-hunger of this multinational has caused death and destruction among your friends, families and to the environment you live in. We wish to extend our sympathies to the family of friends of those who have become the victims of these crimes against humanity. Furthermore we send you this message as a sign of support for your struggle against the multinational Unilever and all other capitalist companies, which in their drive for the most profit have no regard for human lives and the environment.

Jan Vlegels

Member of ACOD (union) at the University of Antwerp, Belgium

Monthly Socialist Journal

Gortinos 8, Athens

email: xekinima@xekinima.org

Tel. ++2283018

In solidarity with you, worker’s of Unilever company

We have been informed about the anti-labor and anti-environmental policies of Unilever Company. We strongly condemn these policies. We declare our solidarity to you, as workers of the company and as citizens of the suffering town of Kodaikanal.

The Unilever Company has proved that they don’t care about providing safe working conditions for their stuff. There was no safety equipment for the workers and neither were there proper facilities to bathe clean after working in the factory.

It is outrageous how the company ruined lives and the environs of this small town and it made cold-blooded economic sense only for the profit. But this is the driving force of the capitalist economic system. This town is in no way an exception. The same happens in Greece with native or multinational companies. In same areas in Greece we already face a total environmental disaster.

In a socialist state where human values and principles come before pseudo-sciences, where the well-being of the people is more important than production levels, where democratic power rests with the communities rather than concentrated in the ivory towers of New York, London or Mumbai, where the industries are run and managed democratically by well-informed elected representatives of workers and communities rather than by boards of directors sitting in far remote places and in secure homes, such crimes would be inconceivable.

We demand:

– Unilever must pay for cleaning up the site and the dumping grounds of Kodaikanal

– Compensation fixed by the labour movement for the disabling of workers and for the medical care of the victims of mercury poisoning in Kodaikanal.

-Unilever must open its factories across the world for inspection of their health and safety practices with regards to the environment and the workers.

-Indian government has to enact and enforce stringent laws to check corporations from making profit by sacrificing the well-being of the workers and the communities.

Only through mass struggles and international solidarity your rights are going to be respected.

With solidarity

Through the Committee for a Workers’ International and its Indian section Dudiyora Horaata, we have been informed about the devastating effect on the health of the people in your community and the environment caused by the wrongdoings of Unilever.

The profit-hunger of this multinational has caused death and destruction among your friends, families and to the environment you live in. We wish to extend our sympathies to the family of friends of those who have become the victims of these crimes against humanity. 

Furthermore we send you this message as a sign of support for your struggle against the multinational Unilever and all other capitalist companies, which in their drive for the most profit have no regard for human lives and the environment.

Sam Luyten

Member of the Boom Fire Department

Member of LSP (Links Socialistische Partij)

—
WWW.BRANDWEERONLINE.COM

Through the Committee for a Workers’ International and its Indian section Dudiyora Horaata, we have been informed about the devastating effect on the health of the people in your community and the environment caused by the wrongdoings of Unilever. The profit-hunger of this multinational has caused death and destruction among your friends, families and to the environment you live in. We wish to extend our sympathies to the family of friends of those who have become the victims of these crimes against humanity. Furthermore we send you this message as a sign of support for your struggle against the multinational Unilever and all other capitalist companies, which in their drive for the most profit have no regard for human lives and the environment.

Luc Wendelen

Shop Steward public service union ACOD-De Lijn Belgium

Through the Committee for a Workers’ International and its Indian section Dudiyora Horaata, we have been informed about the devastating effect on the health of the people in your community and the environment caused by the wrongdoings of Unilever.

The profit-hunger of this multinational has caused death and destruction among your friends, families and to the environment you live in. We wish to extend our sympathies to the family of friends of those who have become the victims of these crimes against humanity. 

Furthermore we send you this message as a sign of support for your struggle against the multinational Unilever and all other capitalist companies, which in their drive for the most profit have no regard for human lives and the environment.

Goedele Landuyt

Medecine student, K.U.Leuven (Belgium)

Member of LSP (Links Socialistische Partij)

Jon Sneyers,
Member of the union LBC-KULeuven,
Department of Computer Science,
Catholic University of Leuven (KULeuven),
BELGIUM

Through the Committee for a Workers’ International and its Indian section Dudiyora Horaata, we have been informed about the devastating effect on the health of the people in your community and the environment caused by the wrongdoings of Unilever. The profit-hunger of this multinational has caused death and destruction among your friends, families and to the environment you live in. We wish to extend our sympathies to the family of friends of those who have become the victims of these crimes against humanity. Furthermore we send you this message as a sign of support for your struggle against the multinational Unilever and all other capitalist companies, which in their drive for the most profit have no regard for human lives and the environment.

Tim Joosen
Member of public service union ACOD-Education Brussels, Belgium

All I can say is that I am appalled at the abuse of your workers at the Kodaikanal plant in India. Is it right that these people should be subjected to demeaning, slave-like conditions that continually put the health of them and their unborn children at risk for several hours a day? I doubt it would be if the plant was based in the UK or US, but of course, being third-world workers living in poverty, they should be grateful for this opportunity to be exploited, and because of the absence of a media and government breathing down your neck, their basic rights can go out of the window. Let it be known that despite my previous love of them, I will not be purchasing a pot noodle again.

Nich S. Brook-Hart

we have read on the CWI network about your problem and want to show you an this way that we stand on your sites.

It is time to confront the bosses of Unilever with their cruel behavior. Every one men how died is one men too much. We must them to call to account. We abet you in all your undertakings so that justice can find the way of truth.

solidarity greatings Christine Lehnert, city-councilor of Rostock (Germany

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I have just received news of your battle against Unilever and your
struggle for justice. The conduct of this company is unacceptable and
must not be tolerated, whether in your town or anywhere across the
world.

Industrial production on a capitalist basis is not for social benefit
but only for profit. This means every corner is cut to save costs and
maximise profits.

These companies hope you will be weak and too isolated to fight back
and that we will remain ignorant consumers unaware of the impact they
have.

Your struggle is shining a light on this scandal and will be an
inspiration to others to stand up to the multinational corporations and
their political allies.

Through our trade unions and the Socialist Party we will circulate
information about your struggle and add to the pressure on Unilever and
others to clean up their act in the interest of workers and the
environment.

Our goal is to socialise production through workers democracy and
socialist planning, this will mean a change in production for need not
profit, eradicating the exploitation of workers and the environment.

Yours in Solidarity

Nick Chaffey
Socialist Party Southern Region
Regional Secretary

We have been informed about the devastating effect on the health of the people in your community and the environment caused by the wrongdoings of Unilever. The profit-hunger of this multinational has caused death and destruction among your friends, families and to the environment you live in.

As the Dutch section of the Committee for a Workers’ International, as a sister party of Dudiyora Horaata, we first wish to extend our sympathies to the family of friends of those who have become the victims of these crimes against humanity.

Furthermore we send you this message as a sign of support for your struggle against the multinational Unilever and all other capitalist companies, which in their drive for the most profit have no regard for human lives and the environment.

In solidarity,

Bas de Ruiter
NEC member of the Dutch CWI-section
—
“If we workers take a notion,
we can stop all speeding trains.
Every bump upon the ocean,
we can tie with mighty chains.

Every wheel in the creation,
every mine and every mill.
Fleets and armies of all nations
will at our command stand still.”

(Joe Hill, Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) 1879-1915)

The viciousness of the attacks which Unilever has inflicted on you in its quest for profits is one of the sickest acts of capitalist exploitation I have ever heard of. I, as a member of the Committee for a Workers’ International, stand with you in demanding that Unilever pay ALL health and personal damage costs to its past and present workers, their families, and all who have been injured or affected by the company’s wanton dumping and misuse of toxic chemicals. Unilever should be made to open its factories across the world for health and safety inspection. Workers and members of the communities in which Unilever operates should be given access to the company’s financial and daily operating records and, furthermore, should be given an active vote in the company’s decision-making processes and the management of its industries. To the people of Kodaikanal, I stand with you, as do many, many others around the world. May you be successful in your struggle against this v icious corporation.

comradely,

Peter Ikeler

Essen, Germany

International Socialist Resistance and Socialist Students wishes you every success in mobilising workers, poor and youth against the multinationals and their system. We condemn Unilever’s brutal exploitation, environmental destruction and blatant disregard for the lives of it is workers and their families in its drive for profit.

Socialist Students and ISR organise young people in universities, colleges, schools, workplaces and communities across England and Wales and we are linked with socialist youth organisations across the world. We support all struggles of workers and youth against neo liberalism internationally.

We support all of the demands of your day of action and campaign.

• Our governments enact and enforce stringent laws to check corporations from making profit by sacrificing the well-being of the workers and the communities.
• Corporations are made accountable to local people for their actions.
• Workers and communities are allowed access to financial records and records of the day-to-day functioning of all major industries.
• Workers be given the right to actively participate in the decision-making process and management of industries.
• Unilever pays for cleaning up the site and the dumping grounds of Kodaikanal.
• Unilever pays just compensation fixed by the labour movement for the disabling of workers and for the medical care of the victims of mercury poisoning in Kodaikanal.
• Unilever opens its factories across the world for inspection of their health and safety practices with regards to the environment and the workers.

In solidarity

Matt Dobson Socialist Students National Organiser

Ben Robinson ISR National Co-coordinator