Can workers making Olympic-branded products expect fair labour practices? How far and how fast do sportswear brands need to go to improve wages and working conditions? Does “made in China” equal “poor working conditions”? What can companies, governments, trade unions and NGOs do to promote and protect worker rights in China?

Find out at the Ethical Trading Action Group's 2008 Ethical Trading Forum in Vancouver, Canada.

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MSN-authored report challenges sportswear companies to meet targets by next Olympiad

As the clock ticks down to the Beijing Olympics, international sportswear companies are amassing huge profits and arranging multi-million dollar sponsorship deals with the Games, Olympic athletes and national teams.

Meanwhile, workers producing their goods are still living in poverty. In a new report, “Clearing the Hurdles: Steps to improving working conditions in the global sportswear industry”, Play Fair 2008 calls upon brands, manufacturers, and multi-stakeholder initiatives to overcome four major hurdles to make real, measurable progress on wages and working conditions in the global sportswear industry.

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MSN Codes Memo #23

Who’s got the Universal Code? examines attempts by multi-stakeholder initiatives and industry associations to develop and promote a “universal” code of conduct that would be applicable to one or more sectors in the globalized economy. We also compare and contrast key provisions on minimum labour standards in these competing “universal codes” and identify critical issues that are blocking agreement on a common code.

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Toronto- For years, students have been asking questions about where and under what conditions their school uniforms are being made. A new report on a factory investigation conducted by the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC) for Catholic School Boards in Ontario confirms their worst fears.

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On Saturday March 8th, York University President Mamdouh Shoukri made a commitment to introduce a No Sweat licensing policy at the university by April. This promise came in response to a 45 hour sit-in by York students, members of the Sustainable Purchasing Coalition (SPC), a student group lobbying to reform York purchasing policy to more sustainable standards. If this pledge goes through as promised, York will bring the number of Canadian Universities with No Sweat policies to 17.

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Update: Mehedi Hasan was released by the Bangladesh security forces on Sunday, February 3, 2008 after being held for ten days in detention. Police have told Hasan’s lawyer that all charges against him have been dropped, although the WRC is awaiting written confirmation.

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Vaqueros Navarra workers took to the streets this month as growing evidence suggests their factory was closed to eliminate an independent union.

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For over six months, workers at the Kings Land Garment Company in Cambodia have asked management to address problems with their working conditions. After exhausting every possibility to urge management to meet with them, the workers went on strike to demand recognition of their the union, a discussion of labor violations and the reinstatement of union activists who have been illegally dismissed. Please take action today in support of the striking workers.

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