LOS ANGELES: On February 25, five workers at the Ziba Beauty Center claimed victory when they got the salon's management to scrap harsh non-compete provisions in its 2005 and 2008 employee contracts, according to a press release from Hamid Khan of South Asian Network.

The press release says that following weeks of intense battle, Ziba Beauty Center has also acknowledged that the arts of applying Henna and threading are not proprietary trade secrets. Ziba admitted that these arts are cultural traditions that have existed in the Indian communities for hundreds of years, long before Ziba existed.

It says that in January 2008, five Ziba workers were fired for refusing to sign an employment contract that contained unacceptable non-compete and trade secret provisions. On Jan 15, the five women workers, the South Asian Network (SAN) and some members of the community protested in front of Ziba Beauty Center demanding an end to the harassment by Ziba management and bad working conditions.

Among their top demands was the elimination of contract provisions that attempted to stop them from working at other salons or opening their own business after leaving Ziba. According to Deborah Drooz Esq., Attorney at Law with the law firm of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan who represented the workers, workers who leave Ziba have the right to work for others or in their own Henna and threading businesses. Ziba is one of Los Angeles's largest corporate beauty salons which specializes in mehndi (henna) and threading.

The press release says that following their victory, four of the five women workers who challenged the management's bad practices -- Bishnu Shahani, Payal Modi, Uma Thapa and Indira Carreon -- opened their own beauty salon in Culver City, California. When asked about their victories, Uma enthusiastically states that "it is a victory for everyone, for all workers at Ziba.

This shows us, when we stand together, we can do anything. It is a lesson for the owners that when workers come together and fight for their rights, they will win." Jyoti Parmar, who decided to work in another beauty center remarks that she is very happy because "we are finally free to work anywhere we want to."

South Asian Network asks the community to support these women in their fight to be self determined and work under conditions that promote dignity and respect for all workers.