|
Mai 8 2001,
Second negotiation-attempt with adidas failed.
Pilot-project with the german Clean Clothes Campaign refused
Dear friends,
please find below a press release from the German CCC
Press release
8.5.01
Second negotiation-attempt with adidas failed.
Pilot-project with the german Clean Clothes Campaign refused
Corporate meeting adidas-Salomon INC. 10.05.2001 in Fürth
For the second time within one year, adidas-Salomon has broken
off an attempt to come to an agreement with the German CCC on
a pilot project for the monitoring of social standards with suppliers
in Central America. The CCC informed adidas' global director for
social - and environment questions, David Husselbee in a statement
at the 4.5.01, that they find the reasons for the cancellation
not very convincing, and that it means a rebuff for the CCC.
After adidas had gotten negative press in the last years because
of dirty labour practices at its world-wide suppliers, the company
appeared to be ready in the beginning of 2000 to complete an agreement
with the CCC for the realization of a pilot-project in El Salvador,
in which local organisations would actively participate. After initial
progress, however, adidas broke off the negotiations in April 2000
for the reason that the proposed Monitoring-Net GMIES would not
be independent enough, thereby also wiping of the table the experiences
this same organisation had with US company the GAP.
End of April 2001 adidas informed the CCC to prefer a cooperation
with the US based Fair Labour Association (FLA). The FLA code of
labour practice however is seriously flawed in terms of the range/
reach of their standards and the proposed monitoring procedures,
and therefore heavily criticized internationally.
The CCCs in Switzerland, the Netherlands, Sweden and France have
made agreements with several companies in the last years which include
pilot-projects in developing countries in which southern organizations
participate. Adidas however has missed a cooperative attitude not
only to the CCC: the company refused to participate at a Hearing
on labour standards organized by the European parliament in November
2000 in Brussels for example.
It is time that adidas does more then concern itself with internal
measures of sourcing ethics and opens up to civil society organisations
such as the CCC. If not, news about ongoing violations of labour
standards at their suppliers all over the world will remain without
convincing reactions from the company.
According to youngest studies from the manufacturing plant Hermosa
in El Salvador production workers are still subject to forced overtime
and pregnancy-tests, and at the Indonesian supplier Panarub a production
worker who is active for a trade-union was sentenced to 20 days
of custody. It is this kind of news that has already made the headlines
for many years.
With inquiries,
you please apply yourself/themselves
Thomas Krämer / Maik Pflaum, Christian initiative Romero,
phone: 0251-89 503, Fax-82 541, ci-romero@t-online.de
or
Ingeborg Wick,
South-wind-institute for economics and Ökumene,
phone:02241-53 617,
Fax: 51 308, wick.suedwind@t-online.de
|
