>Date: Wed, 06 May 1998 13:30:58 -0700 (PDT) >From: Richard Sclove <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >MIME-version: 1.0 >Precedence: bulk >Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: SCOTLAND: URGENT SIGN-ON >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >X-MIME-Autoconverted: from QUOTED-PRINTABLE to 8bit by igc7.igc.org id >GAA03825 > >---------- Forwarded message ---------- >Date: Wed, 06 May 1998 11:26:16 -0700 (PDT) >From: "Camp. for Responsible Technology" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >URGENT SIGN-ON FROM SCOTLAND TO CALL ATTENTION TO HEALTH HAZARDS AT NATIONAL >SEMICONDUCTOR > >Greetingsó > >Jim McCourt, a labor activist from ìSilicon Glenî in Scotland, just visited >Silicon Valley to help celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the founding of the >Santa Clara Center for Occupational Safety and Health. He works with women >workers at National Semiconductor in Greenock, Scotland who are suffering >serious occupational health problems, including miscarriages, reproductive >cancers, vision problems and respiratory ailments. Since the company allows >no unions, the women workers have organized PHASE II, a group for injured >workers and their supporters. There are 2 brief statements below: > >***1) Jimís statement calling on people around the world to form an >effective International Campaign for Responsible Technology to challenge >the high-tech industry to be accountable to its workers and communities as >it continues its global expansion; > >***2) Please take a couple of minutes to read and sign-on to the letter >addressed to National Semiconductor Chief Executive Officer Brian Halla, >which urges National Semiconductor to respect the rights of its workers and >to agree to abide by the covenants of the UN Declaration of Human Rights and >the International Labor Organization in protecting the rights and the health >of the workers. > >Please fill out the sign-on form below and provide your name, organization, >city and country and return it to the International Campaign for Responsible >Technology at [EMAIL PROTECTED] and we will forward it to Mr. Halla and the >media. > >Thanks very much for your support. > >3) (For more information about the International Campaign for Responsible >Technology, check out http://www.svtc.org/icrt.htm (If you want to be part >of the I-CRT list serve, see below and return the form) >(apologies for multiple or cross postings) > >PLEASE SHARE THIS POSTING WITH OTHERS YOU BELIEVE WOULD BE INTERESTED. > >+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ >I> THE NEED FOR AN EFFECTIVE INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR RESPONSIBLE >TECHNOLOGY (I-CRT) > >The globalisation of the Electronics Industry requires a coordinated >International response to combat the unique hazards that high-tech >manufacturing brings to each country. The I-CRT is being formed to provide >this service. > >Transnationalism is not the sole preserve of capital. Our movement has to >adopt a worldwide, proactive strategy that will alert people in all >countries to the inherent dangers that are involved in this industry. >Dangers that are compounded by the ignorance, docility and/or complicity of >governments in dealing with these companies. The massive cash incentives >provided to lure new high-tech developmentóin combination with the lack of >commitment to regulate and enforce minimal standards of community and worker >health and safetyóis a lethal combination when dealing with some of the >worldís largest transnational corporations. > >Throughout the world there is growing evidence of the catastrophic impact >electronics companies have had on workers and the environment in their >locale. In almost every case, there is insufficient action taken by the host >governments to protect workers and their communities. Efforts to seek >legislative, regulatory or legal redress have been largely futile. > >Newly emerging evidence in Scotlandís Silicon Glen is showing that health >effects on workers have had catastrophic repercussions. Clusters of >miscarriages and birth defects have been highlighted in a recent BBC >television production ìShadow Over Silicon Glen.î Illnesses such as breast, >uterine and stomach cancer, leukemia, asthma , vision impairment, carpal >tunnel syndrome and others, have led to creation of an injured electronics >workers support group named PHASE TWO. Similar to the 20 year old Santa >Clara Center on Occupational Safety and Health group in San Jose, it is a >another indication that the hazards faced by workers know no boundaries or >borders. They are deadly and utterly indiscriminate. > >It is vital to help potential new victims by adopting a proactive stance >to inform local politicians, communities and prospective workers of the >hazards that they will inevitably faceóhazards they will not be informed of >by the companies or their government bureaucracies. > >Electronics companies, like many others, are embracing the outsourcing >method of management control, masked under the guise of the cyclical nature >of their markets. It is the perfect control tool in suppressing workers. The >consistent resistance to Trade Unions, in all countries, is indicative of >the nature of their business: Dirty and Dangerous. For these multinational >corporations, profits and productivity take priority over workplace safety >and community health, so we must organize ourselves. > >It is the duty of the I-CRT to pursue these companies wherever they go so >that we can anticipate and document their movements and share our existing >information with the workers, communities and health specialists in the >emerging markets that the electronics industry will exploit in the coming >years. Please join with us now to support this struggle! > >Jim McCourt >Inverclyde Advice and Employment Rights Centre >Greenock, Scotland > >_______________________________________________________________ >+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > URGENT SIGN-ON LETTER TO NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR CEO > > >Brian Halla, CEO >National Semiconductor >2900 Semiconductor Way >PO Box 58090 >Santa Clara, CA 95052-8090 > >Dear Mr. Halla: >I am deeply disturbed that National Semiconductor has ignored the health >hazards for the workers at its plant in Scotland. Instead, your company has >paid for a half-page ad in the local Greenock newspaper to deny that health >hazards exist, following a recent BBC Frontline special which featured >women working at National Semiconductor in Greenock who are suffering from >illnesses such as breast, uterine and stomach cancer and leukemia. >I endorse the campaign of the International Campaign for Responsible >Technology and call on National Semiconductor to commit to abide by: > >*** the covenants of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights, >especially article 23 which addresses the rights of people to ìfavorable >conditions of workî and > >*** the conventions of the International Labor Organizations, especially the >convention on Occupational Safety and Health (1981) which requires that >employers ensure that the chemical substances under their control are >without risk to health and that workers have a need for, and right to, >information about the chemicals they use at work; and the Chemicals >Convention (1990) which requires employers to assess, monitor and record the >exposure of workers to hazardous chemicals to safeguard their safety and >health. > >Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. > > >Name: >Organization: >Address: >City, Country >e-mail >Fax > >(e-mail back to [EMAIL PROTECTED] or fax back to svtc at 408-287-6771 >__________________________________________________ >+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ >
