Protest against North Sails at the Aquatic Sports Exhibition in Dusseldorf

During the last day of one of the largest aquatic sports exhibitions in Europe, activists from the Clean Clothes Campaign traveled to Dusseldorf on Sunday, 23 January 2005 to call attention to the ongoing labor dispute at the North Sails factory in Sri Lanka. The Clean Clothes Campaign demands that the dismissed workers be rehired at the factory. They were dismissed in 2002 when they went on strike for a living wage. It is especially these workers who were fighting for decent working and living conditions who deserve and need our support the most.

The activists spoke with North Sails dealers, retailers and the public and distributed flyers at the exhibition. In England, activists attended the London Boat Show and distributed cards calling for action against North Sails. They were quickly hemmed in and expelled from the grounds by security personnel. The activists were simply asking that North Sails respect labour rights at factories where their products are made, and recognise that workers have the right to freedom of association.