Goals: Decrease sexual harassment against women
Improve housing for workers on the plantations
Alleviate temporary status for current workers
Targets: Michael Polk
Paul Polman
Shareholders
The president, CEO, and shareholders of Unilever have the most power and resources
to change the situation for temporary workers and ending the rights violations.
Tactics:
1) Shaming Campaign through Ad-busting
- “Lacking” stickers handed out at grocery stores or places where tea drinkers frequent exposing issues, names of Polk and Polman, website information
2) Utilizing New Media
- Frequently updating website with background information, current events involving labor rights, ways to get involved, updates on Demonstration at Shareholder Even
- Twitter and Facebook updates on Unilever, links to relevant articles and coalition members websites
3) Main Event: Demonstration at Shareholder Meeting
What: Interrupt and hold demonstration outside of the annual meeting to discuss the company, ways to improve it and vote on issues
Who: Board of Directors and shareholders in Unilever
When: May 13 2011
Where: London, UK
Why effective: Holding large and angry demonstration with coalition (see Midwest Strategy Chart) with signs about sexual harassment and inadequate housing that Unilever’s involved with. Media will have been informed in advance of demonstrations so bad press coverage and publicity will enable us to meet with President and/or shareholders to stop sexual harassment and change housing.
Timeline
December
- Send out press release with information to media and followers of campaign, begin to publicize demonstration on website and new media tools
January
- Begin working with coalition to organize demonstration and get as many people signed on, Pitch press release and information on campaign to media outlets (CBSNews 60 Minutes- programs on labor rights, BBC news)
February/March
- Ramp up ad-busting and flyer distribution to increase awareness, Send letters to Polk demanding changes
April
- More letters to Polk, Organize for demonstration and plan discussion points for possible meeting with Polk we’ll stop ad-busting and demonstrations IF
- Enforce no sexual harassment of women workers with gender sensitive training for bosses of tea workers
- Adequate housing in line with Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/HousingRightsen.pdf
