Nestlé workers struggle for their rights as shareholders prepare for annual celebration.

As Nestlé shareholders prepare for the annual shareholder meeting on April 19 Nestlé watchers should note that on April 6 a court in Kabirwala, Pakistan issued an arrest warrant for a manager named Jahangir at the labour contractor which has been supplying hundreds of contract workers under abusive conditions to Nestlé's milk factory in the town.

Abuses by the labour contractor - a crucial component of the Nestlé 'supply chain' - are part of a pattern of lawlessness and lies which have also seen the human resources manager at the plant cited for contempt by the Punjab High Court for repeatedly failing to comply with court orders to reinstate the unfairly terminated President of the Nestlé Kabirwala Workers Action Committee, Ashfaq Butt

Throughout the ongoing struggle for employment rights at Nestlé Kabirwala, Nestlé has shown contempt for the courts and for the truth. Nestlé management in Vevey has gone through similar contortions in attempting to explain the arbitrary firing of 53 union members at the Nescafé factory in Panjang, Indonesia, including alleging that the strike by the union was "illegal" (it was not). The handful of union members who survived the wave of arbitrary firings have come under enormous pressure to surrender their rights.

Nestlé produced an annual report for the shareholder meeting vaunting the achievements of its Human Rights Working Group. The company needs to be reminded that human rights at Nestlé begin with trade union rights in the workplace.

Stop Nespressure! While the shareholders prepare for their celebration, use the form below to send a message to Nestlé calling on the company to reinstate unfairly dismissed union members in Indonesia and to provide permanent employment to contract workers in Pakistan who have claimed their legal rights.
IUF



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