Fight Human Trafficking on Corporate Plantations

I know this is long.  Please read it anyway.

WalkFree.org

********CAMPAIGN UPDATE**********

In response to messages from over 10,000 activists, a representative from Tata Global

Beverages emailed us on 15 March, 2014.

They said Tata takes our concerns seriously and wanted us to let you know that they

have authorised an assessment of the living and working conditions in Assam, India.

We wrote back, thanking Tata for their concern and repeated our call for the company

to take specific steps (see below) to prevent the trafficking of young girls working

on their tea plantations.

They are clearly paying attention to us right now, this is your moment:

Ask Tata Global Beverages to help fight human trafficking in Assam, India.

By now, you’ve probably seen the exposé in The Guardian on what is being called the

“Tea Maid Trade.” Men and women operating as “recruiters” prey on young girls living

on tea plantations in Assam, India.

 Thousands of girls have reportedly ended up trapped as domestic slaves in middle

class homes in Delhi

1.

Ask Tata Global Beverages to help fight human trafficking in Assam, India.

So how do these girls become trapped? The short answer is that workers in Assam are

trapped in a unique situation of terrible poverty making them vulnerable to the lure

of human traffickers

2.

The long answer looks like this:

1. Tata Global Beverages (owner of Tetley Tea) is the biggest shareholder of a company

called Amalgamated Plantations (APPL)

 which manages tea plantations in Assam, India

3.

2. Several years ago, a program was initiated that aimed to make tea plantation workers

part owners in Amalgamated Plantations. In exchange for a portion of their already

small wages, they would get shares in the company. Sounds good, right? Sadly,

scores of workers report they were coerced to buy shares in Amalgamated Plantations

and remain confused about the details

4.

3. The minimum wage on the tea plantations in Assam is industry wide and set by a tripartite

agreement, but reports

indicate that workers are paid 94 rupees ($1.54USD) a day, a little over half the

legal wage for an unskilled worker in Assam.

There is a price for keeping wages so low, and it is paid by the workers who cannot

afford to keep their daughters

. When the traffickers come knocking, offering to take the girls away, promising

good wages and an exciting new life, they find it hard to say no

5.

4. Because of the poverty in Assam, trafficking girls is an attractive business for

locals. Investigative reports indicate that

people in Delhi have bought girls for as little as 4,000 Rupees (or $65 USD)

6.

As the biggest single shareholder,

 if Tata Global Beverages commits to help improve the working conditions of the employees

of Amalgamated Plantations, they could play a much needed leading role in ending

slavery

in the region.

We know that right now, Tata is listening.

Tell Tata Global Beverages, parent company of Tetley Tea to help fight human trafficking on tea plantations in Assam, India.

Unfortunately, the problem of human trafficking in Assam is not new. But

 right now we do have a window of opportunity to act and call for change

. Due to growing global media coverage,

Tata is feeling the heat.

A couple of days ago, they agreed to conduct an audit on the living and working conditions

in the APPL tea plantations. This is a good first step, but we’re asking Tata to

do more:

1. Publish the Tata Global Beverages Code of Conduct

. Make public a code of conduct which ensures zero tolerance for modern slavery and

includes measures for effective remediation when modern slavery is found.

2. Ensure that plantation workers are paid a full cash living wage

 and are able to opt out of investment schemes, across all plantations. Pay should

be backdated accordingly.

3. Establish an independent grievance mechanism

 to enable workers to report violation of their rights, both individually and collectively,

as verification that the code is being implemented.

Ask Tata Global Beverages to break the cycle of modern slavery on tea plantations in Assam.

Thank you in advance for taking action. If you have a moment, please forward on to

three of your friends to triple your impact.

In solidarity,

Debra, Mich, Kamini, Andrew, Kate, Sarah and the Walk Free Team

P.S.

We want to be really clear -- we are not accusing Tata Global Beverages of trafficking

girls from Assam to be held in situations of modern slavery. We are, however, concerned

that Tata Global Beverages is engaged in a labour scheme via Amalgamated Plantations

in Assam that is fuelling unique forms of vulnerability to modern slavery. Of all

the possible players,

Tata Global Beverages has the power to do the most good in this situation

 and that is why we are calling on them to engage.

1

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/mar/02/tea-workers-sold-into-slavery

2

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/video/2014/mar/01/tetley-tea-maids-real-price-cup-tea-video

3 Tata Global Beverages own a 49.66% share in Amalgamated Plantations -

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/01/india-tea-firms-urged-tackle-slave-traffic-plantations

4

http://web.law.columbia.edu/human-rights-institute/initiatives/global-economy/tea-plantations/more-things-change

5

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/01/india-tea-firms-urged-tackle-slave-traffic-plantations

6

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/mar/02/tea-workers-sold-into-slavery

Walk Free is a movement of people everywhere, fighting to end one of the world's

greatest evils: Modern slavery.

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View this email in your browser

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www.walkfree.org

WalkFree.org

********CAMPAIGN UPDATE**********

In response to messages from over 10,000 activists, a representative from Tata Global

Beverages emailed us on 15 March, 2014.

They said Tata takes our concerns seriously and wanted us to let you know that they

have authorised an assessment of the living and working conditions in Assam, India.

We wrote back, thanking Tata for their concern and repeated our call for the company

to take specific steps (see below) to prevent the trafficking of young girls working

on their tea plantations.

They are clearly paying attention to us right now, this is your moment:

Ask Tata Global Beverages to help fight human trafficking in Assam, India.

By now, you’ve probably seen the exposé in The Guardian on what is being called the

“Tea Maid Trade.” Men and women operating as “recruiters” prey on young girls living

on tea plantations in Assam, India.

 Thousands of girls have reportedly ended up trapped as domestic slaves in middle

class homes in Delhi

1.

Ask Tata Global Beverages to help fight human trafficking in Assam, India.

So how do these girls become trapped? The short answer is that workers in Assam are

trapped in a unique situation of terrible poverty making them vulnerable to the lure

of human traffickers

2.

The long answer looks like this:

1. Tata Global Beverages (owner of Tetley Tea) is the biggest shareholder of a company

called Amalgamated Plantations (APPL)

 which manages tea plantations in Assam, India

3.

2. Several years ago, a program was initiated that aimed to make tea plantation workers

part owners in Amalgamated Plantations. In exchange for a portion of their already

small wages, they would get shares in the company. Sounds good, right? Sadly,

scores of workers report they were coerced to buy shares in Amalgamated Plantations

and remain confused about the details

4.

3. The minimum wage on the tea plantations in Assam is industry wide and set by a tripartite

agreement, but reports

indicate that workers are paid 94 rupees ($1.54USD) a day, a little over half the

legal wage for an unskilled worker in Assam.

There is a price for keeping wages so low, and it is paid by the workers who cannot

afford to keep their daughters

. When the traffickers come knocking, offering to take the girls away, promising

good wages and an exciting new life, they find it hard to say no

5.

4. Because of the poverty in Assam, trafficking girls is an attractive business for

locals. Investigative reports indicate that

people in Delhi have bought girls for as little as 4,000 Rupees (or $65 USD)

6.

As the biggest single shareholder,

 if Tata Global Beverages commits to help improve the working conditions of the employees

of Amalgamated Plantations, they could play a much needed leading role in ending

slavery

in the region.

We know that right now, Tata is listening.

Tell Tata Global Beverages, parent company of Tetley Tea to help fight human trafficking on tea plantations in Assam, India.

Unfortunately, the problem of human trafficking in Assam is not new. But

 right now we do have a window of opportunity to act and call for change

. Due to growing global media coverage,

Tata is feeling the heat.

A couple of days ago, they agreed to conduct an audit on the living and working conditions

in the APPL tea plantations. This is a good first step, but we’re asking Tata to

do more:

1. Publish the Tata Global Beverages Code of Conduct

. Make public a code of conduct which ensures zero tolerance for modern slavery and

includes measures for effective remediation when modern slavery is found.

2. Ensure that plantation workers are paid a full cash living wage

 and are able to opt out of investment schemes, across all plantations. Pay should

be backdated accordingly.

3. Establish an independent grievance mechanism

 to enable workers to report violation of their rights, both individually and collectively,

as verification that the code is being implemented.

Ask Tata Global Beverages to break the cycle of modern slavery on tea plantations in Assam.

Thank you in advance for taking action. If you have a moment, please forward on to

three of your friends to triple your impact.

In solidarity,

Debra, Mich, Kamini, Andrew, Kate, Sarah and the Walk Free Team

P.S.

We want to be really clear -- we are not accusing Tata Global Beverages of trafficking

girls from Assam to be held in situations of modern slavery. We are, however, concerned

that Tata Global Beverages is engaged in a labour scheme via Amalgamated Plantations

in Assam that is fuelling unique forms of vulnerability to modern slavery. Of all

the possible players,

Tata Global Beverages has the power to do the most good in this situation

 and that is why we are calling on them to engage.

1

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/mar/02/tea-workers-sold-into-slavery

2

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/video/2014/mar/01/tetley-tea-maids-real-price-cup-tea-video

3 Tata Global Beverages own a 49.66% share in Amalgamated Plantations -

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/01/india-tea-firms-urged-tackle-slave-traffic-plantations

4

http://web.law.columbia.edu/human-rights-institute/initiatives/global-economy/tea-plantations/more-things-change

5

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/01/india-tea-firms-urged-tackle-slave-traffic-plantations

6

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/mar/02/tea-workers-sold-into-slavery

Walk Free is a movement of people everywhere, fighting to end one of the world's

greatest evils: Modern slavery.

Follow on Twitter

 |

Friend on Facebook

 |

Subscribe on Youtube

 |

View this email in your browser

 You can unsubscribe from WalkFree.org at any time.

© 2014 WalkFree.org | All rights reserved |

www.walkfree.org

Important in So Many Ways

It's been almost a crazy month since I've written.  Explanation will follow as I have time.  But This is of major importance to all of us,  I think.

This concerns the Supreme Court's decision that a multi-national corporation has all of the legal rights of a U.S. citizen.  It allows corporations to get away with Much that they could have been Stopped from doing Before the Court's decision.  Look at the situation on bosses denying Birth control, not abortion, but simple Birth Control, to their female employees based on Their Personal Religious Beliefs!  And whatever happened to Freedom of Religion?

I do Not agree with all that this organization does.  But I Am behind this particular action.

Dear Friends and Activists,

The moment is NOW for undoing the existential damage done to our

democracy by the Citizens United supreme court decision.

We are off to a terrific start with more than 5,000 action page

submissions already, each going to all three of your members of

Congress. But we need YOUR voice too. We need everyone on this one.

End Corporate Personhood action page:

http://www.peaceteam.net/action/pnum1166.php

The good news is that there are identical twin joint resolutions

introduced in both chambers of Congress to clarify that where the

Constitution says "the people" it never intended to include

"corporations" of any kind.

The disgraceful news is that these resolutions have only 3 sponsors

in the Senate, and only 34 in the House. But that is only because

nobody yet has really jumped on this . . . until now.

And judging from the response of our participants, we are prepared to

go all in on this one.

It is incredible to us that ANY member of Congress would not sponsor

these resolutions to initiate formal amendment of the Constitution.

Do they purport to represent us?? Who do they think they are kidding?

Who do we think we're kidding . . . ourselves??

We are pledging to never again vote for any member of Congress who

will not get behind this.

We are pledging to never again give even a single dime to any member

of Congress who won't even go as far as stepping up as a sponsor of

these resolutions.

Last week our own inbox was subjected to what can only be described

as carpet bombing emails, crying "The whole world is going to come to

an end this very minute if you don't send us more money," from every

congressional campaign committee imaginable.

Enough!

There is only one way we will ever support any candidate for Congress

every again, and that is if they have demonstrable proof that they

are fighting for us, the people. And the only primary evidence we

will accept from now on is a meaningful commitment to reverse

Citizens United.

Now let's do it.

End Corporate Personhood action page:

http://www.peaceteam.net/action/pnum1166.php

And after you submit the action page, check out our proposal for our

next full length feature, dramatic movie, Citizens United, The Movie,

to help build awareness of this movement. Read the first 6 pages of

the script on this page.

Citizens United, The Movie proposal:

http://www.peaceteam.net/citizens_united2.php

Check out the demo of the second scene already posted, a faux defense

contractor spot to make a point of the extent to which corporations

have commandeered the concept of "We, The People." All we need to do

is get the REAL actors in to replace the stand-in voiceover we have

now, and that scene is finished.

Use the link there dedicated for you to give us your own comments and

suggestions about the new movie. This is your chance to influence our

production and creative decisions just as we expect our members of

Congress to heed us.

And if you are inspired to do so, request any of the policy advocacy

gifts related to all this, so that we can make the rest of this very

needed educational production a reality, just like our first dramatic

film complete and available for you now.

You may forward this message to any friends who would find it

important.

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usalone559b:16973

Take Action Now

On March 25 the Supreme Court will hear two cases brought by for-profit companies

that want to deny their employees coverage for birth control. The bosses at Hobby

Lobby, a large chain of arts and craft stores, and Conestoga Wood Specialties, which

manufactures cabinets, are arguing that their personal religious beliefs should trump

the personal beliefs of their female employees, allowing them to evade the law and

deny their employees birth control coverage.

Decisions about my birth control are not my boss’s business. If you agree, add your name to the big banner.

This Is Personal

 will be at the Supreme Court on the day of the hearings to rally in support of birth

control coverage and to show America that every woman should have access to this

benefit, regardless of her boss’s religious beliefs.

You can be there with us. Add your name to the banner that we'll unfurl on the steps of the Supreme Court.

Already more than 27 million women have access to the birth control coverage benefit

under the new health care law. Birth control, one of the most frequently used women’s

preventive health services, is critical to women’s health and equality. Excluding

it from insurance coverage for women while covering the full range of preventive

care for men is discrimination—pure and simple.

If you agree — show it. You may not be able to be there in person, but you can still keep it personal. Add your name to the big banner.

Thanks for keeping it personal,

Thao Nguyen

Campaign Director

This Is Personal,

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