By Vanessa León, Intern, International Labor Rights Forum
Harassment: sometimes sexual, other times verbal, often times both.
Attempts to organize unions result in termination of employment.
Pregnancy tests or proof of sterilization as a condition for hiring.
Pesticides and fungicides causing respiratory and eye problems, skin rashes and miscarriages.
Years of faithful, grueling work only to be denied basic worker's rights. Basic human rights.
Masses of women & mothers are forced to endure these labor conditions in the flower industry.
Often working to escape poverty, women succumb to violations of unregulated & unstable work.
Teasing and discrimination become their managers’ script,
Hazardous working environments - the stage.
Equal pay for equal work is a mere fantasy,
Rigorous overtime with no compensation, unfortunately - their reality.
Shouldn't mothers deserve more???
Do your part in seeking justice for these mothers and all flower workers.
Act and in turn, salvage a life.
You can give hope to those at the root of the cut flower industry. Here's how...
Join ILRF in supporting flower workers by participating in this year’s Mother’s Day Raffle. Enter to win a basket of Fair Trade Certified chocolates mailed to your mom or loved one https://secure.ga6.org/08/mothersdayraffle10 and in turn, help workers around the world fight for a safe workplace free from sexual harassment, a decent living wage and protection for their health while at work.
- For $10, we will enter a name of your choosing into the raffle.
- $30 will get you not only three raffle tickets but also a bar of Fair Trade Certified chocolate from Equal Exchange and a Mother’s Day greeting card mailed to a special individual on your behalf.
- Finally, for $60, we will give you eight raffle entries plus a Fair Trade Certified chocolate and Mother’s Day card for TWO individuals of your choice.
Two winners of the Fair Trade Certified chocolate baskets, from either Equal Exchange or Sweet Earth, will be chosen at random from the raffle. Click here for the official raffle rules. Winning entrants will be notified by May 3rd and the two lucky recipients of the Fair Trade Certified chocolate baskets will be congratulated on the ILRF website shortly after the raffle.
With Mother’s Day fast approaching, the flower industry is at its peak in production and unfortunately, that means a rise in labor rights violations for the hundreds and thousands of workers in this industry. It’s important that we not only educate ourselves on their horrendous working conditions but also act on improving them. Proceeds from the raffle will go towards ILRF’s Fairness in Flowers Campaign, which promotes safe and decent working conditions in the global cut flower industries through consumer education and support for local organizations that advocate for workers’ rights. Your purchase will help ILRF and its partners push producers and retailers to provide real protections for both flower workers and the environment.
