Honoring Neil Kearney

November 18, 2009

SAI Tribute to Neil

SAI mourns the devastating loss of our esteemed friend, colleague, and Founding Advisory Board member, Neil Kearney, Secretary General of the International Textile, Garment & Leather Workers Federation (ITGWLF).  He passed away of a massive heart attack last night, in Dhaka.

Neil Kearney was a founding member of SAI's Advisory Board and served until the end on the Board's Founder's Committee.  His brilliance and passion for justice, his tireless advocacy for the rights of workers, and his extraordinarily detailed knowledge of ILO conventions catapulted SAI’s SA8000 into the highly respected “gold standard” this it is today.  His mark is embedded in SA8000. Neil’s gritty determination to give voice and real power to workers, coupled with his unique sense of humor and his love of great food, stories and wine has always been an inspiration to all of us at SAI. Neil never ceased to press us to set our standards higher and to deliver on our promise. Working with Neil Kearney was an absolute privilege that we will forever treasure.  Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to his wife Jutta, and two daughters, Nicole and Caroline—Neil was deeply proud of you and loved you very much.  We join with his colleagues around the world to honor his life by following his dictum: “Act as if what you do mattered, because it does”.

 

I’d like to share one of our favorite photos of Neil.  Here he is amidst a 2003 worker training in China.  You can see his awesome magnetism and feel the impact. As much as he was a powerful speaker to audiences around the world, it was truly through these moments of speaking to workers that one can see his validity, sincerity, and genius.

Alice Tepper Marlin
President, Social Accountability International

Photos

 

Additional photos from Bangladesh

Audio

BBC Radio 4 Programme
January 24, 2010

Ready to Wear: -What happens when westerners intervene on behalf of low-paid clothing factory workers

Dear Friends and Colleagues

It is with the deepest sorrow that I write with the most tragic and devastating news that our friend, colleague and mentor, Neil Kearney, passed away suddenly last night while in Dhaka. 

At this moment I am in shock and cannot begin to pay full tribute to Neil, who has been so prominent a leader and such a vital personality within ETI and the wider labour rights movement. As General Secretary of the global garment workers union Neil has championed the rights of workers in that sector for over two decades. As an ETI Board Director since our inception in 1998, Neil brought the reality of the lives of garment workers to every discussion. He played a similar role on the Advisory Board of Social Accountability International and in so many other places. It’s largely because of Neil that labour rights is the priority it is for many companies in the sector.

To those many ETI members to whom Neil was also a dear friend I extend my heart felt sympathies. We have offered our condolences to Neil’s family and colleagues at the ITGLWF with the full sentiment of us all.

I was with Neil just earlier this week in Cambodia, when he was at his very inspirational best. We were visiting factories in Cambodia that have established strong industrial relations and become stronger businesses because of it. Neil leaves behind him a massive hole. Quite literally, hundreds of thousands of workers have improved their lot as a result of his inspiration and actions. The best tribute ETI and ETI members can pay him is to re-double our efforts to help make his vision of decent work a reality for millions more. 

In sympathy

Dan Rees
Director
Ethical Trading Initiative--
Respect for workers worldwide

With great shock and heavy hearts, we share news that Neil Kearney, the General Secretary of the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation (ITGLWF) and Executive Committee member of the MFA Forum, passed away in Dhaka, Bangladesh on November 17, 2009 from a massive heart attack.

Neil was our dear friend, and friend to the labour rights movement everywhere.  Neil was one of the founders and driving forces behind the MFA Forum.  He, of course, was tirelessly engaged in the work we have in Bangladesh, Morocco and was the Chair of the Lesotho group.  As we try to understand the wider implications of this loss we also no doubt will struggle in the vacuum that his loss will bring to the Forum. We will no doubt miss Neil’s tireless fight for labour rights and his dedication to his work and the work of the MFA Forum.  With bitter happiness, we feel blessed that we were able to spend quality time with Neil recently while at the international convening of the MFA Forum earlier this month. His presence will be sorely missed for all the organisations and individuals that he worked so vigorously for, as we all move forward without his leadership.

Neil Kearney, 59, became the General Secretary of ITGLWF in 1988. Born in Donegal, Ireland, he started his trade union career with the Irish National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers in 1972. In 1998, he received the “IL Natale, La Notta della Vita” International Award for his work on the elimination of child labour worldwide. A year later, he received the “Work and Environment Award” of the Associaiazione Ambiente e Lavoro for his work to improve working conditions in the developing world.  He is survived by his wife, Jutta, and two daughters, Nicole and Caroline.

With condolences to his family, the ITG and the colleagues that worked closely with him.

Sasha Radovich
MFA Forum

It is with a very heavy heart that I respond to this tragic and unwanted news. To say that he a gentleman that embodied the essence of human nature is an understatement.

The common worker, no matter where in the world has lost it's champion. Civil society too has lost a most uncommon champion and I dare say, the management and ownership side has lost a most worthy adversary.

We at SAI have lost not only a wonderful colleague, but in his own words....A most civil man.

Fitzroy Hilaire
Hilaire Associates

 

I cannot write I knew Neil, however I had the opportunity to listen to him several times and I was always very impressed because he always talked with passion about what we all have in common, well beyond our own political opinions, which is Humanity.

Bruno Colombani

Today has been an extremely difficult day for me and for so many of my colleagues. Neil was a tireless champion of workers, who faithfully brought their voices to halls of power that they too often would never see themselves. Neil will continue to inspire me and countless others to ask ourselves each day whether we can’t summon a little more imagination, muster a little more courage, and find a little more endurance than we otherwise might have to help bring about the change our collective humanity so desperately demands. I will miss his eloquence, his moral integrity, his toughness, his humor and most of all his presence.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Neil’s family and to everyone whose lives he has touched.

Darryl Knudsen

Gap Inc.

SAI Advisory Board member

Dear colleagues/friends,

It is difficult to find adequate words to express the sadness and shock that the news of Neil’s death calls forth.  It is over 20 years now that I have taken Neil to be a cornerstone of committed trade union internationalism. 

How many millions of workers and their families will have been lifted from despair by his tireless and selfless giving of his strength and moral courage we can never know.  But it is sure that he will be held close in many a heart as a comrade and friend of highest worth for as long as they themselves live.  For generations of workers to come his work will be seen as a pivotal contribution to the struggle for human decency in the global workplace.
Our thoughts and our gratitude must also be for his family who loaned so much of Neil’s precious time to the world’s workers.  The world is a better place for his time among us.

In solidarity,

Vic Thorpe

When I heard the news yesterday I was just stunned.  When an instant  event like that happens one is so unprepared.  As many thoughts,  memories and feelings as I had swirling around me, I knew you had them as well, only more intensely.

 Neil has been a driver on your road for all these years, and your esteem for him was noticeably steadfast.  He lent those early  days of standard-writing and debuting SA 8000 all of his estimable  knowledge and constant legitimacy.  I remember his unwavering point of  view.  Whatever standard was being debated he would, in his gravest  voice, state that if SA 8000 contained one or another weak provision  it would be a signal to organized labor not to support it.  He meant  it -- he carried the Olympic Torch for the worker's benefit each and  every time, with bold and clear thought and language.

 I really only saw his effect at the Board table. I know you shared  many more issues--and glasses of wine -- or coffee---with him, I  expect your emotions have been sadly and profoundly engaged with his  passing.

 I send you my thoughts and these observations in sincere recognition  that you too are due sympathies for your loss of this always additive  colleague and friend.

 Love, Dorianne

Dorianne Beyer, Esq.

SAI Advisory Board Member

Dear Friends,

Having known and worked with Neil Kearney for the past 22 years, it is indeed sad to note that the workers of the world have lost one of their best friends. My deepest condolence to his family and friends.

Raja Gopal  

I learned with Neil to express my position, as an adult, not a child trying to rally everybody.

Life is a gift, this we should never forget.

Robin Cornelius
Switcher Quality Textiles

Additional tributes and messages of condolences: 

Better Work

Ethical Trading Initiative

Human Rights for Workers

International Labor Rights Forum

International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions

International Transport Workers' Federation

Maquila Solidarity Network