Gap Promise to Monitor Factories in India

In the light of the death of Ms Padmavathi at a factory in India that manufactures clothing for Gap, I contacted Gap and expressed my disgust at the treatment of one of their workers. Upon checking my inbox today, I found this reply:


I am pleased that they have acknowledged that there has been an 'increase in the number of violations' and that they will 'stop working with vendor partners that have repeated violations'. However, it remains to be seen whether they will adhere to these principles, or whether they will be cast aside in favour of their bottom line. The question also remains, how will Ms Padmavathi's family be compensated for their loss?

Worker Dies at Factory Making Gap Clothing

Another story about the disgraceful treatment of employees in the developing world. This time at a factory manufacturing clothes for Gap. From The Guardian:

The clothing giant Gap has ordered one of its overseas suppliers to overhaul its practices after a garment worker in Bangalore, India, collapsed and later died outside the same factory where a young pregnant worker lost her newborn baby six months ago.

It is the third death in the last year at or near the premises of Shalini Creations, a unit of the Texport Overseas group which makes clothes for the US firm.

Local unions told the Guardian that Ms Padmavathi, a 39-year-old factory worker, collapsed near the factory gate at midday on September 18, two-and-a-half hours after she had asked to be allowed leave to go to hospital. They claim she started vomiting at 9.30am and had asked her manager for leave. But, they say, she was not granted immediate leave and was instead verbally abused. When she was eventually granted leave and left the factory, she collapsed near the gate. Passers-by carried her back to the factory, where she was taken to a clinic and then to Victoria hospital, where she died at around 1pm. Results of a postmortem examination have not yet been made public.

You can write to Gap at custserv@gap.com to pressurise them to take this incident seriously and ensure that their factory ensure fair treatment for all employees.

Patently Disgusting

Nice to see that drug companies are still behaving like utter shits. When talking about Novartis' intention to sue the Indian government over their patent laws, Paul Herrling, head of Novartis' corporate research, said:

"We are deeply convinced that patents save lives. If the patent law is undermined the way it is happening in India, there will be no more investment into the discovery of lifesaving drugs."

You can't beat a bit of unfounded scaremongering to force democratic governments to bend to the will of the corporations.