In the News

NETHERLANDS: Retailers accused of using unethical suppliers

just-style.com
02/13/2009

Supermarket retailers including Carrefour, Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, and Wal-Mart are facing new allegations of workers' rights violations in their supply chains.

According to a new report released by Netherlands-based pressure group the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC), workers in their garment supply chains face "increasing poverty, appalling conditions, and serious workers rights violations".

CCC research in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Thailand was published this week in "Cashing In: Giant retailers, purchasing practices, and working conditions in the garment industry"... 

NYC garment workers win $600,000

Associated Press
02/12/2009

Excerpt from article:

Garment workers on Thursday celebrated a jury verdict that they say will put more than a half million dollars in the pockets of 25 workers and open the door for scores of others to be paid proper wages.

The jury in U.S. District Court in Manhattan returned the verdict late Wednesday against Liberty Apparel and two of its owners after a 10-year court battle.

A judge tossed the lawsuit out in 2002, but it was reinstated on appeal.

Weldon Spring company accused of labor violations

Suburban Journals (St. Louis Metro Area)
02/10/2009

 

Fifteen workers at manufacturing facilities in Puerto Rico are suing Weldon Spring-based Propper International, the largest manufacturer of uniforms for the U.S. military, alleging labor law violations.

The workers are suing for damages of $225,000 related to unpaid work.

The case alleges that the company, which operates eight plants in Puerto Rico, did not grant legally required paid sick days and vacation days and that some vacation days were paid at the federal minimum wage rather than workers' regular wages...

Giant Retailers Cashing In on Poverty Wages

ILRF & Clean Clothes Campaign
02/10/2009

INTERNATIONAL LABOR RIGHTS FORUM | CLEAN CLOTHES CAMPAIGN

Immediate Release

Contact: Trina Tocco, trina.tocco [at] ilrf.org, 202-347-4100 ext. 103

Jeroen Merk, Clean Clothes Campaign, jeroen [at] cleanclothes.org, +31-20-412-2785 or +31-0646744662

Giant retailers cashing in on poverty wages

Wal-Mart, Carrefour, Tesco, Aldi, Lidl profit while workers

face rights violations

Colombians blast flower trade

Toronto Star
02/10/2009

 

Flowers from Colombia are grown in blood, according to a small delegation from that country asking Canadians to think twice about the origin of flowers they buy for Valentine's Day.

It's the blood of women and children as young as 10, who work in slave labour conditions in sprawling greenhouses around the capital. They arrive from all over the country to package beauty, working long hours for little pay, no guaranteed labour rights and health problems that include infertility, lung disorders, joint issues and cancer.

UK supermarkets' ethical clothing standards 'a sham'

The Independent (UK)
02/08/2009

 

Overseas workers supplying major chains say they are forced to lie to auditors about pay and conditions

British supermarket claims that their cut-price clothing is made under ethical standards have been called into question by an investigation revealing serious and widespread abuses in factories that make the bargain items.

Tailors and machine operators making cheap clothing for Tesco and Asda say they are forced to lie to company auditors about working hours and pay and conditions or risk being sacked, according to a report to be published on Tuesday... 

Business Groups Focused On Killing ‘Buy American’ Rules In Conference

Inside US Trade
02/06/2009

Excerpt from article:

Despite changes the Senate made to the Buy American provisions of the stimulus package, major U.S. exporters late this week vowed they will work to strike these rules completely in the conference committee.

They are not satisfied with the Senate’s approval of an amendment co-sponsored by Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) that stipulates that Buy American provisions in the stimulus will “be applied in a manner consistent with the United States obligations under international agreements.”

Be my valentine?: Day for flowers highlights labor abuses

New York Teacher
02/04/2009

Since Valentine's Day is about declaring love, it can be an opportunity for teachers to talk about the larger love found in social justice and human rights. It all stems from flowers.

About one-third of Ecuador's and Colombia's flowers are produced for Valentine's Day alone, which means workers are pushed to meet production quotas, logging up to 20 hours a day, at 250-300 stems per hour for harvesters, according to the International Labor Rights Forum. Because flowers are not consumed, safety standards are lower than they are for food.

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