Union Organising around major sports events

www.playfair2008.org

Aims for the session

• Review the industry and the problem

• The campaign team

• The targets

• The objectives

• Progress so far

Sourcing Countries

80% manufactured in Asia for the US, EU and Japanese markets

The Problem

• Outsourced manufacture • Low value added• Pressure on Price• Shortening lead times• Lean manufacturing• Consolidation following expiry of the Agreement

on Textiles and Clothing 2004• Trade unions hitherto seen as an impediment to

this model.

Labour Value in Nike T Shirts

Table 1.

Plant A Plant B

Number of workers in one line or cell

6 (cell) 10 (line)

Number of T shirts per day per line/cell

900 800

Daily wage per worker US$ 17.2 US$ 13.6

T Shirts per worker 150 80

Unit Labour Cost US$ 0.11 cents US$ 0.18

From : Locke 7 Romis 2006 p.32

Wage

Profit for the brandRetail cut

Ex factory

Campaign Team 2008

Steering Committee

Lobby Group

Popular Campaigning

Group

Media & Publicity, Street campaigning

Companies & IOC/NOCs

Strategy

Targets

• Olympics family

• Sourcing Companies (brands)

• Supplier firms

• Institutional investors

• Public and all workers

• All Governments

• (Chinese Government)

Targets

International Olympics Committee

+

National Olympics Committees

+

Games Organising Committees

Sourcing Companies

Asian TNCs

What do we want to achieve

• Language in Olympic Charter

• New contractual provisions in Licensing

• IOC needs to invest in compliance

What do we want to achieve with brands and Suppliers on FOA

• Disclose locations• Freedom of Association stakeholder

meetings• Non Interference Guarantee• Access Agreements• Apply principles of ILO Convention 135• Independent structures in China

‘Non-Interference Guarantee’

• ‘In the event of a trade union organising committee being formed in my factory I hereby undertake in line with the (name of buyer) code of conduct provision on freedom of association not to victimise any workers.

• Signed ……………..Factory Manager