News about the Play Fair 2008 Campaign |
Response to Beijing Olympics’ Organizing Committee statement on labour rights violations |
Thursday, 02 August 2007 | |
Freedom of Association is the key.Play Fair 2008, the international campaign organized by ITUC*, ITGLWF *, the Clean Clothes Campaign and their affiliates and partners worldwide, appreciates the fact that BOCOG and the Chinese authorities have acted upon its "No Medal for Olympics on Labour Rights" report. BOCOG has confirmed widespread use of overtime for three of the suppliers, and the use of underage workers as well as contract violations at the fourth, Lekit Stationary. In addition to obligatory excessive overtime our report however also provides detailed evidence of workers being underpaid (for overtime as well as regular working hours), of health and safety regulations being ignored, dubious hiring practices, lack of legal maternity leave and a structural lack of safe channels for workers to report their grievances.
Regrettably the BOCOG statement ignores these issues, despite several major international customers having acknowledged that these problems are prevalent in the factories. “Our findings on wages, health and safety, hiring practices and other issues show that the problems run much deeper” says the Playfair group, “and we call upon BOCOG and the IOC to publish the full report and discuss further action to genuinely improves the workers’ situation”. We are also disappointed that the BOCOG investigation findings have not mentioned compensation or redress for the underpaid workers. To our surprise the IOC so far has failed to comment on the BOCOG report, nor have undertaken any practical action to ensure the problems are addressed at will not occur elsewhere. “This is not a problem limited to China” says the Playfair group. Several sportswear brands, have confirmed that the findings our report focus on issues which they have identified for improvement throughout their entire supply chains.
With respect to the three suspended companies, BOCOG states that they have to ‘rectify their operations in accordance with the Labour Bureau’s requirements’, but provides no detail on what these requirements are, or how workers themselves will be able to effectively participate, and ultimately benefit from action taken on their behalf.
Contacts: IHLO (Hong Kong Liaison Office of ITUC ITUC/GUF/HKCTU/HKTUC
Clean Clothes Campaign |