By Doug Miller
April 2005

Introduction

In the six-month run-up to the Olympic Games, between March and August 2004 'perhaps the biggest-ever crusade against sweatshops' was launched against certain sportswear companies, their sectoral organisation and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). This crusade - known as the Playfair at the Olympics Campaign (PFOC), sought to bring about both an industry-wide and company level solution to the abuse and exploitation of workers in global sportswear supply chains'.

The many activities of the PFOC not only successfully informed the public about working conditions in the sector, they were instrumental in placing pressure upon a number of companies, which were perceived to have not done enough in the area of corporate social responsibility: - Asics, Fila, Kappa, Lotto, Mizuno, Puma, and Umbro.

During the PFOC, these sportswear companies were lobbied in an effort to force them to address widespread exploitation and abuse of workers in their supply-chains, but in addition, campaign pressure was applied to seek an industry wide response to these problems. Focus turned towards the body which represents over 100 companies and trade associations in the sector - World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI).

The aim of this report is to present an accurate reflection of the dialogue which took place with the WFSGI regarding a sectoral response. Most of the information compiled in this report is comprised of written correspondence sent by the campaign group to the WFSGI and a report from the sectoral meeting held in Geneva at the offices of the ILO. The WFSGI has been given the opportunity to review and comment on its chapter.

This report is divided into sections:

1. introduces the World Federation and describes its approach to corporate social responsibility

2. summarises the recommendations made by the PFOC in respect of the sector

3. summarises the WFSGI response to the PFOC.

4. evaluates the response