Sportwear workers mistreated on Olympic scale: claim

Giant sportswear brands are violating the rights of millions of workers in order to get the latest sportswear into the shops in time for the Athens Olympics, according to a campaign launched today by anti poverty campaigners and trade unions.

The 'Play Fair at the Olympics' campaign, launched by Oxfam, Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Labour Behind the Label, has called on companies and the British Olympic Association to "clean up their act".

Campaigners have alleged that promises to behave responsibly have been ignored by company buying teams using "cut-throat tactics to bring products to shop-shelves at cheaper prices". Factory managers have also been accused of "failing to respect labour standards" in the face of high-pressure demands from companies. And workers wrongly face summary dismissal for trying to form or join a trade union, they claim.

“If hypocrisy and exploitation were an Olympic sport, the sportswear industry would win a medal,” the Thai Labour Campaign's Junya Yimprasert said.

The campaign has accused the sportswear industry of "ruthless tactics" in order to produce the latest sportswear both cheaper and faster. In order to deliver, suppliers have been forcing their employees to "work longer and harder for less money", denying them the chance to work their way out of poverty, the campaigners have claimed.

'Play Fair' has called for sportswear companies to make prices fairer, deadlines more appropriate and treat labour standards appropriately.

The British Olympic Association has also been called on to ensure that Olympics sponsors and licensees meet their responsibilities towards workers’ rights in their supply chains by making this a provision in sponsorship and licensing agreements.

Brendan Barber, TUC General Secretary, said that the spirit of the Olympic Games had been violated by companies "exploiting and abusing workers rights". He called on sportswear companies to "talk to us so we can work together for fairness for workers in the industry”.

Jasmine Whitbread, International Director at Oxfam, said: “The majority of workers in the sportswear industry are women. They are paying a heavy price for their jobs. Their health, the welfare of their children and their family life are suffering as a result of long hours, poor working conditions and low pay. If women workers are going to escape from poverty we need to change the way the these companies do business and make trade fair.”

(gmcg)