Call # 242 December 2001

Bitter orange, a product essential to the making of the Grand-Marnier and Cointreau, is produced in Haïti. This country still cannot get out of the unstoppable circle of violence and corruption. The coming back to power of " President Aristide " did not calm down the tensions. Murders, disappearances of journalists and permanent insecurity have been denounced several times in the reports of the organizations of Human Rights Defense. In this difficult context, thanks to the relentlesness of Batay Ouvriyé, trade unions continue to be created, particularly in the oranges plantations, and to ask for the implementation of a Code of Labour dating back to the dictatorship of Duvalier. In 1999, an action launched against Grand-Marnier society had reached a positive outcome. In 2000, another action against Rémy-Cointreau society could not get to a solution. One year later, Réseau-Solidarité is once again mobilized.

Nonce and Daniel Zéphir are the two most powerful chairmen in the region of the Haitian Cap. Together with their activities of coffee and cocoa exportation, they own several bitter oranges plantations. They are famous for being intransigent chairmen, not open to social dialog...

In the year 1999-2000, after several months of negotiations and international campaigns (1), the workforce trade union of the plantation owned by Marnier-Lapostolle however managed to negotiate better working conditions.

A very hard conflict

In November 2000, when they were informed of this progress, the workforce of Guacimal SA (2) also decided to create their trade union. They are more than 400, 35 of whose work at the Madeline factory. The latter extract oil from bitter oranges in the Saint Raphaël plantation, the company’s second site. The Madeline workers were the first ones to create a trade union and to draw up a list of their demands, which was exactly the same as the one of the Grand-Marnier plantation workers. Strikes were launched in the factory and in the plantation.

The Zéphir brothers reacted immediatly. After several months of blockade, they had been forced to negotiate with those of the Marnier-Lapostolle plantation, as the company’s board of directors in Paris had asked for it. In order not to go that far in Guacimal, they used pressure.

The trade union is facing several administrative problems. It had to try several times before getting its receipt of declaration. Everything makes people think that the chairmen of Guacimal S.A. use their connections in Port au Prince to prevent any opening of negotiations. In the plantation as well as in the factory, the trade unions representatives are threatened and physically assaulted. The local notables support the Zéphir brothers and they went several times on site to intervene in the conflict. Finally, the company’s board of directors is also trying to oppose those from the plantation to those from the factory in order to divide the workers.

International campaigns

From October 2000, Réseau-Solidarité launched a call (3) in favour of the workforce trade union of Guacimal S.A. The board of directors of Rémy-Cointreau, target of the call, answered to all the persons who contacted them. They underlined that they " do not own lands or production installations ", they anounced the opening of negotiations on site and recalled " everywhere in the world where the Rémy-Cointreau group works directly or not, we want to respect the fundamental humanitarian principles. We also want to comply to the legislation and to the social standards in force in each local context ".

The results are however very poor: nothing new in the plantation; a few results are obtained in the factory, such as a low salary adjustement and the construction of latrines.

In the beginning of the year 2001, other European organizations felt concerned about the situation. The English NGO War on Want completing its mission in March witnessed the suppression on the trade union.

In July 2001, the trade unions of the factory and the plantation wrote to Rémy-Cointreau. They answered to every single point of a file broadcast by the society on the conflict. On site, the suppression is more and more intensifying. Because of physical assaults, trade unions representatives are imprisonned, accused and then discharged, because of a lack of proof.

Searching for a solution

In November 2001, security agents of Guacimal SA and other armed persons, who were acting for Mr Zéphir, interrupted a trade union meeting and threatened with death the members. They announced that they would not accept any longer the presence of members of the interunion affiliated to Batay Ouvriyé.

At the same time, in France, a representative of Batay Ouvriyé got an appointment with the international board of directors of Rémy-Cointreau. Yannick Etienne answered to the invitation of Réseau-Solidarité to participate in its 20 years forum. So she met us on 26th November 2001, with representatives of Réseau-Solidarité and of Collectif Haïti.

Yannick Etienne said that the information broadcast by Rémy-Cointreau society were false and that the chairmen of Guacimal society were still refusing to negotiate. She underlined that it was essential for Rémy-Cointreau society to get involved in supporting the development of the surroundings of the plantation (facilities, school, literacy tuition, health centre). Lastly, she suggested that Rémy-Cointreau society should send a representative on site in order to open the negotiations and that a delegation of trade unions representatives of Rémy-Cointreau and organizations of international solidarity should contribute to this mediation.

Mr Charriaud, a representative of Rémy-Cointreau society, answered principally to the first two points, underlying that the society was only a client of Guacimal. He added that Rémy-Cointreau said to Mr Zéphir, when they met recently, that Rémy-Cointreau was in favour of a social dialog in order to reach a solution to the conflict. He committed himself to give all the suggestions of Yannick Etienne to his superiors.

One month after they met, nothing has changed. There are just a few weeks left before the resumption of the crop in the plantation. It is therefore urgent to take measures in order to open the negotiations and to find a solution. That is the objective of this new call to Rémy-Cointreau society.

1. Call 210: Bitter oranges 9th September 1999

2. Contrary to the plantation of Manier-Lapostolle, the plantation of Guacimal is a public company, owned by the Zéphir brothers. 30 % of its production is aimed at the making of Cointreau. Rémy-Cointreau is a minority shareholder.

3. Call 228 Haïti: Bitter Cointreau 23th October 2000.

Write to

Mme Dominique Hériard Dubreuil

Présidente

Société Rémy-Cointreau

152, avenue des Champs-Elysées

75008 PARIS

Email : info@remy-cointreau.com

TEXT suggested (this text is only a suggestion, you can adapt it to your own style)

Dear President,

Your company gets one of the products essential to the making of its liqueur in the bitter oranges plantations, in Haïti.

You are aware of the difficulties encountered by the workforce trade union of Guacimal in managing to negotiate better incomes and better working conditions with the board of directors.

Further to a previous call of Réseau-Solidarité (10, quai de Richemont 35000 RENNES) you had insisted on your permanent wish to respect the fundamental humanitarian principles.

On 26th November 2001, a representative of the organization Batay Ouvriyé met a representative of your company, reminded him the situation and made several suggestions:

Rémy-Cointreau should send a representative on site to open the negotiations.

A delegation composed of trade unions representatives of Rémy-Cointreau and of organizations of international solidarity should contribute to this mediation.

Today, the situation in Guacimal is getting worse, while there are only a few weeks left before the resumption of the crop.

I am sure that you will answer to the propositions of Batay Ouvriyé and that you will intervene quickly and efficiently to ensure that the social dialog in Haïti be worthy of the reputation of your company.

Relying on your comprehension, yours truly

(signature)

You can also write directly to the Zéphir brothers

M. Nonce et Daniel Zéphir

BP 53

CAP HAITIEN

HAITI

Finally, you can send yours letters to the Zéphir brothers or your solidarity messages to the trade unions of Guacimal via the e-mail address especially created by Batay Ouvriyé.

Email : cointreaucampaign@yahoo.fr

For more information about the situation in the plantations:

www.ifrance.com/syndicats-bo-haiti