Working at Lipton Casual-T Episode II: Unilever Pakistan Punishes Rights Activists

“Our People Vitality programme aims to enhance the personal well-being and effectiveness of our people, through advice on exercise, nutrition and mental resilience. During 2008 the programme was rolled out to our operations in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The programme is already showing positive results. Participants have reported improvements in their quality of sleep, energy levels, motivation and work performance.”

“Sustainability” at www.unilever.com

So who needs rights when you can have People Vitality?

Since the Lipton Khanewal workers formed their Action Committee to fight for their rights, members have been denied work, demoted and pushed into even deeper poverty in an attempt to break their resistance. At the same time, some 100 new contract workers – with no experience, skills, or seniority (over 20% of the workforce) have been taken on in the midst of what the company contends is a production downturn… but is clearly a show of force to weaken the Action Committee and the IUF.

Nadeem Shakeel, Khanewal worker, earning less than USD 3 daily with no guarantee of work under the “no work, no pay” system of casual employment at Lipton Pakistan

“I was a data entry operator paid a daily rate of Rs.250 per day. But after I helped organize the action committee and started talking about our rights I was demoted to the job of machine operator. But I’m paid the minimum wage for an unskilled worker – just Rs.232. I’m a data entry operator working with computers. But Unilever says I’m unskilled just because I spoke out about our rights.”