3 July 1998

ADIDAS APPLAUDED FOR QUITTING CHINA

Adidas' decision to cancel all orders for footballs made in China after a report linked production with prison labour was today applauded by the Brussels-based International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation whose member-unions represent those employed in the production of footballs.

ITGLWF General Secretary, Neil Kearney said today: "Adidas were clearly misled by their Chinese suppliers. Their decision to cancel all orders and to cease using China is the only sensible way to avoid further embarrassment. Every company sourcing sports goods in China should seriously re-examine their contracts to ensure that prison labour is not being used in the production process."

Continued Kearney: "The Chinese have again shown that they are not reliable business partners. Nor will they be reliable until the authorities cease detaining their citizens for alleged political misthinking and subjecting them to the notorious "re-education through labour" process."

"The embarrassment caused to Adidas in the past few days should be a lesson for every multinational retailer or merchandiser sourcing goods in China", concluded Kearney.

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The Brussels-based International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation is an International Trade Secretariat which brings together 220 affiliates in 120 countries world-wide with a combined membership of 8.5 million workers.