What is the WFSGI?And what about their code of conduct?

The World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI) wasformed in 1978 to promote the world's sporting activities, tostandardize the size of equipment and the rules of sport, to improvethe standards of quality for sporting goods and to promote fairtrade in sporting goods internationally. The WFSGI's Committeeon Ethics and Fair Trade (CEFT) developed a Model Code of Conductin 1997, revising it in 2000. The first code was made after theFIFA, the International Football Association, draw up a code ofconduct together with the international trade unions in 1996 --a good code of conduct with recognition of the need for independentverification. The FIFA code has not been implemented however,and instead the WFSGI came up with its own code, which calls formuch weaker standards. Adidas is one of the companies who hasdrawn up its own code based on the WFSGI code.

The revised code does reflect some positive changes. For example,the code now states that, "These Principles are based onthe international labour standards outlined in the relevant Conventionsof the International Labour Organization (ILO)." This referenceto ILO norms is a new addition to the code. Collective bargaininghas been added to the code, as well as a sentence to the paragraphon wages: "Employers recognize that wages are essential tomeeting employees' basic needs and that employees should be fullycompensated for all time worked." Although it is interestingthat a reference to the basic needs is made it still seems thata recognition of the fact that wages are essential to meet basicneeds is not enough. What about making sure that a wage will meetbasic needs? Regarding verification, a new paragraph has beenadded in which members are encouraged to establish their own internalmanagement systems to monitor and implement action plans for continuousimprovements. Members are encouraged to have their factories monitoredby appropriately qualified external third party organizations.