At the beginning of July, Novi sindikat organized a significant international forum in Zagreb titled “Living Wage is Possible!” (Dostojanstvena plaća je moguća!). The event brought together 110 representatives from the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC), an international organization dedicated to protecting the rights of textile workers, alongside other partner unions and civil society organizations. Participants traveled from 20 European countries, Africa, India, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and the USA to strengthen global cooperation.
During the panels on July 6 and 7, we discussed critical steps toward achieving a living wage, the necessity of transparency among fashion brands, and corporate social responsibility. We concluded that a living wage is achievable through two main prerequisites: better organization of workers via stronger unions and increased civil society pressure on brands to respect labor rights. Current legislative initiatives, such as the European Citizens’ Initiative for living wage, play a vital role in this process. (European Citizens’ Initiative for Living Wage, Corporate Responsibility Directive).
Protest: “Adidas, Pay Your Workers!”
A powerful message of solidarity preceded the forum. On July 5, participants gathered in front of the Adidas store in Zagreb. Holding banners in multiple languages, they addressed CEO Kasper Rørsted directly, demanding that Adidas pay its workers what they are owed. In Cambodia alone, over 1,000 Adidas suppliers’ workers were tricked into quitting to avoid severance payments, while 5,600 others went on strike in 2022 due to unpaid wages.
One group entered the store, wanting to submit a letter to Adidas, but the owner of the store who arrived in Zagreb from Osijek for the action, did not even want to listen to the reasons for coming in front of the store, with the justification that he is the owner of the franchise and that the store is not owned by Adidas. But at the opening of the store in 2017, Adidas authorized representatives of the store are presented as Adidas, which the person in question did not deny.
The Orljava Case and the Museum of Broken Relationships
The protest continued at the Museum of Broken Relationships, where former workers of the Orljava factory—Mirela Bonić, Mirjana Pavić, and Manuela Kajinić—donated symbolic items from their factory. A sewing machine and worker uniforms now represent the “broken relationship” between the factory and the German brand Olymp, which still owes 172 workers approximately €450,000 in severance pay.
“Most of us worked for Olymp for over 30 years. Now, Olymp must show respect and pay its debts,” stated worker Mirela Bonić. The museum’s director, Olinka Vištica, expressed pride in supporting the workers by archiving these items and giving a voice to the neglected.
Will Gerard Butler Support the Orljava Workers?
The mentioned actions are part of a global campaign Pay Your Workers, carried out jointly by a number of organizations from all over the world. The campaign is aimed at fashion brands that dismissed workers under the pretext of the coronavirus pandemic and owe them salaries and/or other material allowances.
Novi Sindikat and Clean Clothes Campaign continue their campaign towards Olymp the target of the current campaign is actor Gerard Butler, longtime ambassador of Olymp. We ask him to use his influence and ask Olympus to take responsibility for the workers.
Additional links:
Facebook event: Support workers sewing your clothes – in front of the Museum of Broken Relationships
Orljava workers continue to fight for severance pay
Textiles from India organized a solidarity campaign with Orljava workers
The Government of the Republic of Croatia forgot to congratulate the women workers on the Day of the Workers of Orljava
Workers of Orljava and on Women’s Day fight for their rights
Continuation of Orljava’s Workers’ Severance Campaign
The Government of the Republic of Croatia and Olymp are responsible for Orljava
