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Reports of the activities of the different European
CCC's between january2000 and June 2000
Dear friends,
Please find below some news of the activities of the CCC's in the
different European countries.
Adresses and contact information can be found here
Spain
February: Big public action against Nike and Adidas : final
action after 9 months campaigning. About 1000 demands extra demands
for information came in. 80.000 postcards were distributed. The
media coverage was good at the beginning, less with returning the
shoes. Marina Rosa from MAM in El Salvador came.
March: Evaluation/strategy meeting of CCC platform spain.
About 25 organisations/unions present. Presentation of the book
"Deshaciendo la madeja" (translation of La Mode Deshabillee),
with a topmodel and author Carole Crabbe. Very good press coverage.
CCC spanish newsletter no. 9
April: First meeting with AENOR (Spanish association of
normalizaion, who want to create aaan "Ethical Technical Comitee"
for NGO's, trade unions, companies, consumers, universities and
others.
June: CCC spanish newsletter no. 10
Flanders (Belgium)
In 1999 already a meeting with Alain Courtois (director of Euro
2000) took place and the appeal was published.
Appeal EURO2000:
Advertisment in newspapers (Dec 99)
50 organisations signed the appeal (for about half it was the first
CCC activity)
A symbolic football team composed by politicians, sportspeople and
artists signed the appeal
This was followed by a Press conference and action (Dec 99) At the
occasion of the drawing a press conference and action were organised
together with Campagne Vêtements Propres and the Dutch CCC,
and a letter send to Alain Courtois (Dec 99, see also report of
the french speaking part of belgium) Another Letter from Alain Courtois
(March 2000): The EURO2000 included the FIFA code of conduct in
the contracts and will take no further steps
The idea for the flemish campaign was to focus on living wages and
Adidas, and of course continue pressure on the Euro 2000 cie.
In dec.99 a workshop With David Husselbee (adidas) and Bettina Musiolek
(CCC germany) was organised.
- Materials were made: Brochure on living wages, Training for
educators with a slideshow
- Tournament 'Injustice scores badly'(May 2000), 48 teams final
match between politicians, artists and sportspeople. Good regional
press coverage and a nice new way to reach people, new network
opened up.
- Adidas- action: 50.000 supporters for living wages using the
Living wage labels: People were asked to put them on their shirt
and then take a picture and send it back. Good means of action;
could be used at many occasions. 50 000 supporters (out of 250.000
distributed) Well known sports people supported the action: Joel
Smets, Filip Dewilde (keeper of national team, who retired his
support under pressure of his employer)
- Match AA Gent - Aalst: AA Gent put on special shirts with the
slogan 'living wages clean up clothes' (rhymes in flemish)
- Letters from Wereldsolidariteit - Reply from adidas, they refused
to come to the worldshake happening to receive the pictures. Happening
Worldshake: 15 000 participants, photo wall (50 000 supporters)
benji run, closing session on central stage: particpants catcalled
adidas because of no show
- meeting adidas during Fit for Fair action
day in Germany the pictures of 50 000 supporters were handed over
to David Husselbee
French Speaking Part of Belgium
Activities of the Vêtements propres campaign
- Euro 2000 - Droits de l'Homme, droit au but
- Social label
PRODUCTION OF MATERIAL To be used internationally
vidéo clip (8 languages/national versions). A realisation
of Benoît Mariage (see www.cleanclothes.org, can be ordered
via wallonian CCC, text easily adaptable) 8 regional televisions
(means around 800 visions), refusal of the RTBF for commercial reasons
(risk to lose some rich customers like Nike and Adidas), Distribution
of tapes to be used during projections of the matches on big screens.
broadcast 20' documentary on Nike and Adidas in Thailand, already
broadcasted on RTBF, available as international version, Available
for adaptation to any language
newsletter/poster in english, french and dutch
To be used in the french speaking part of Belgium
postcard for adidas and Nike,
publicity poster has been put in all the public buses, through a
support from the regional minister for transportation, free places
in the public buses in Charleroi and Liège
ACTIONS
Tournament : "Footballeurs, fous de valeurs"
From te end of january to 13 may (final)
160 matches in schools, youth associations (no football clubs)
winners 3 youth associations from " urban difficult zones "
During Euro 2000
Ministers match - Brussels, 13 june, on a public field, in the center
of the town (place Fontainas)
A lot of ministers and members of the parliament participated in
this match (2/2) . They also all signed the appeal and wore t-shirts
from the campaign. Participation of Lek, our guest from Thailand.
Good image for the press. Good content in some newspapers. Fun without
any sense on the TV news.
A barge for the workers rights in Liège, Sunday 18 june
On the morning a barge was circulating on the stream along the Sunday
market, with a message of the campaign. People from several organisations
were on the market to invite the public to sign the postcards.On
the afternoon, the barge and so called 'human rights extremists',
(according to the press), was circulated on the stream near to the
stadium. Attempt to go ashore on the VIP plateform, during the UEFA
special emergency meeting…
Contacts with Euro 2000 foundation
More and more difficult but some results, as today UEFA agree on
the need of an independent monitoring
· SOCIAL LABEL
The law proposal was examined by the senate and
went back to the Chamber.
Germany
After adidas broke off the negotiations in El Salvador on April
13th 2000 the German CCC intensified its "Fit for Fair"
publicity and mobilisation work: 35.000 copies of a "Red card
for adidas" were printed in addition to other campaign materials
in which sympathizers were asked to protest at the adidas headquarters
against the termination of the negotiations in El Salvador. adidas
replied with reference to their code of conduct and to the "independent"
monitoring of Verité in China, El Salvador, Indonesia and
Vietnam and to planned further monitorings of Verité in other
countries later in 2000. The "Fit for Fair - Back To Producer"
actions in which sportswear was sent back to adidas (and Puma, Nike
etc) for failure of clean production, provoked similar replies by
adidas: here they also referred to their membership in the FLA;
adidas refused to accept the sportswear goods and returned them
to the senders. Most succesful actions in Chemnitz and Cologne,
in Wuppertal activists had been prevented from doing an action in
front of a sportsshop.
The media work of the CCC in May and June was quite successful:
a series of TV/radio broadcasts and press articles gave friendly
reports about the campaign. adidas reacted sharply against a good
article on Indonesian suppliers in a youth magazine pressurizing
the editor to agree to "corrections" in the next issue,
interpreted the Austrian "Standard" article on the negotiations
in El Salvador as a breach of confidence, and criticized the CCC
for unfair treatment of adidas and for calling for a boycott of
adidas products (derived from the slogan "Adidas - leave it!"
of a group in Cologne") at an adidas press conference in Herzogenaurach
on June 2nd 2000.
National Action day
At a national day of action on May 27th 2000 groups in about 20
cities organised information stalls, theater plays, demonstrations
and pickets. Sonia Lara Campos, a former women worker in an adidas
supplier factory in El Salvador who had participated in the most
recent research on the Formosa factory there, was present at some
of these actions. Her statements on labour rights violations at
Formosa refuted the adidas allegations of major improvements there.
Tour of Sonia Beatriz Lara Campos in Germany 25.5. - 9.6.2000
The Christliche Initiative Romero (CIR), member of the German
CCC had invited Sonia Beatriz Lara Campos for a witness-trip through
Germany. Sonia had worked in two Maquiladoras of El Salvador. From
both factories she was fired for her intentions to organize a union.The
last months she took part in investigations of workers of adidas-suppliers
in El Salvador. Sonia toured to Bremen, Münster, Köln,
Erlangen, Pappenheim, Torgau, Chemnitz, Berlin and Potsdam. She
took part in the meeting with adidas-representatives (Husselbee
and others) on the central action day in Herzogenaurach (headquarters
of adidas and Puma) and in a discussion with an other representative
in Sporthochschule Köln. She did some conferences, a workshop
with delegates of the Lutheran Youth of Bavaria, meetings with pupils
and had interviews with newspapers, radio- and TV programs.
Sonia reported the situations in the adidas-suppliers: forced
extra-hours, pregnancy tests (positiv = no job) or de facto prohibition
of free unions is still common.
During events with Salvadorian guest, Adidas misinterpreted course
of negotiations and situation at factories in El Salvador which
could be counterargued
Herzogenaurach/Erlangen:
On June 3rd 2000 live internet chats on CCC topics took place between
Catholic
youth organistions at the huge "Catholic Forum" in Hamburg
and adidas/Puma in
Herzogenaurach. About 50 friends from the CCCs in Belgium, Netherlands,
UK and
Germany as well as Sonia Lara Campos, Lek (Thai Labour Campaign)
and Suthasinee
(former Par Garment worker), an Australian sympathizer etc. participated
in the
bicycle tour from Erlangen to Herzogenaurach and demonstrated in
front of an
adidas factory outlet. Two delegations including the friends from
El Salvador
and Thailand, the European CCCs and the European Parliamentarian
Ms. Lissy
Gröner held talks with adidas (David Husselbee, his collegue
in the same
department Frank Henke and the press officer Peter Czanadi)and with
Puma (the
environmental and social affairs representative Reiner Hengstmann
and the press
officer Ulf Santjer):
Before the adidas talk took place Husselbee, in front of two TV
cameras, was handed over the 50.000 signatures and photos for a
living wage from the Flemish CCC; Husselbee questioned the concept
of a living wage ("There is no valid international definition")
and favoured the expression "fair wages" which he claimed
adidas would pay in Indonesia including all bonuses and contributions
in kind. He said that the code of the World Federation of Sporting
Goods Producers" and the adidas code would
be amended this summer with regard to the wages: reference would
be made concerning "basic needs" of the workers.
Austria
In the first half of this year we offered about 30 educational
units for
teachers as well as classes for students designed to communicate
Clean
Clothes issues to the youth. We also gave lectures in political
organizations
on this topic.
The Austrian contribution to the EURO2000 focus of the European
Campaign largely revolved around the Vienna City Marathon on May
21. About
300 runners, some of them prominent persons of the public life,
promoted
campaign goals by wearing a special T-Shirt with our logo. Some
information
desks were ready to communicate campaign issues and provided additional
information. The same concept was applied to the Austrian womens
race on June.
Om cooperation with the Clean Clothes Campaign, the prestigious
Austrian
daily newspaper "Der Standard" published an 8 feature
story on campaign
themes. There were a lot of other media reports on our action in
the press and
the radio.
At the 31 th of May we organized a panel discussion
in Vienna with eye-whitnesses from Thailand, which presented their
apparel
industry experiences in labor and social rights.
We issued postcards to enable consumers to address their demand
for Clean
Clothes to the Sportswear Industry and spread
some thousands of them.
Switzerland
- In the English Newsletter you find about the current information
on Swiss-CCC.. There has been a good and fruitful co-operation
between CCC and the enterprises (Migros, Switcher, Veillon) so
far.
- In the centre of our campaigning are the urgent appeal cases:
with press releases we inform the public and we will ask the activists,
to write letters. For that reason we are now active in co-ordinating
the case of Triumph Internatinal. A next newsletter (no. 3) is
planed for July. The postcard action will continue on lower level
(>52'000 till today).
- Work on the counter summit in Geneva on 22 till 25 of June
(see: http://www.attac.org/geneve2000/)
We will be present on some days and there is on Friday 23 June
a work on social standards with Martin Khor and ev. with Vandana
Shiva. A manifestation is planed for Sunday 25th.
- In October 13 - 15 one of us and someone of Migros will participate
at the congress on social standards and independent
monitoring in Hannover
UK Labour Behind the Label
1) LOCAL WORK
Six living wage street actions in Norfolk. Two Disney street
events - in Manchester and London. In the process of organising
a training event for youth workers for whole East Anglian region.
2) LBL SUPPORTERS
Produced two campaign updates. Organising a gathering of LBL
activists for 1 October in London.
3) EURO 2000
Press coverage: Guardian of 10 June, Sunday Mirror (sports
page) of 11 June and Big Issue of 29 May. All featuring Lek and
Suthasini prominently. Lek and Suthasini also met with: GMB union,
East London factory workers, BBC Panorama, Labour Rights Network.
15,000 card strips printed, each targetting Umbro and UK Football
Association. 10,000 already distributed via unions, Football Supporters
Association, youth groups, etc. Campaign is endorsed by Football
Supporters Association.
Responses so far:
FA says yes to including 'some' code in contracts. LBL to follow
up pressing for this to be FIFA code and for implementation clause.
Umbro: have replied that they no longer source from Pan and Orfei
Bulgarian factories. LBL reply emphasizing that companies should
work with suppliers to raise standards rather than simply take their
business elsewhere, and asking for details of monitoring procedures
and position on independent monitoring. Umbro
have supplied names of some Asian suppliers, and a list of the buyers
they deal with.
THE NETHERLANDS
For the Euro2000 camapaign
Activities:
April: the youth organsiation Move your World organised activities
for young people,among which a table football competition with the
theme of working conditions in the sportswear industry
On the 4th of June an alternative football match was organised
in the woods of Amsterdam (really there are trees!) where about
100 people participated. They all paid money to enter the matches
and the money that was thus collected was donated to the workers
of 2 factories in Thailand to help them with legal procedures that
are taken against trade unionists.
140.000 very small sized leaflets are distributed(110.000 through
the ASN,THE ethical bank), pocketsize format, with at one side the
dates for the matches and at the other site some basic information
on labour conditions, with a focus on the wages of the workers in
the sportwear industry. One page can and is send back to the CCC,
postbags full.
Funcard action together with the FNV, at festivals,at euro 2000
activities etc the FNV and the CCC are "making" postcards,
directed at the Euro2000 comite, the KNVB and adidas. People are
asked to put their photo on the postcard and so giving the red card
or a header for better working conditions
Posters: 255,000 copies distributed through the participating organisations
Thai visitors, interview for 2 regional televisionstations, World
services radio, participating in event in Eindhoven, one of the
4 Euro2000 cities, visit to the Dutch Football Association, participating
in alternative football tournament.
Reasonable press coverage, television, radio, the Euro2000 clip
on the local television in a few cities
Talks:
With the ISL
With the KNVB (Dutch football association)
Euro2000 in Rotterdam, with Feijenoord (football club) and local
Rotterdam politician.
Protestletter:
On the Dutch company Vendex/KBB
On sportswear companies, Dutch football association and Euro2000
comite
New workshop for young people ready and used in workshops on schools,
together with youth organisations
Clean Clothes Community
The Clean Clothes Communities project aims at enlarging the
supporters of the Clean Clothes Campaign by getting the support
of local groups and to make the purchasing of city councils cleaner
(such as the uniforms of the fire-department or the public transport
officers).
Three municipalities are in the process of accepting a resolution
about clean purchasing (such as firemen-uniforms etc.). This will
probably be accepted after this summer. In two other cities there
are activities organised by local groups, such as a soccer-game
for clean uniforms and a whole day of workshops to give more information
on clean purchasing. Other initiatives are: an exhibition about
textile where information on clean clothes communities
will be added, or an evening about Euro2000 where a lot of people
from city councils are expected.
Sweden
- continuation of the project for Independent Verification (see
last English newsletter)
- continuation of the work on sportswear retailers such as Intersport,
with cards, talks in schools, collecting footprints etc.
- tour with Thai guests, with a.o. a fashion parade in central square
of Stockholm, a soccer match between two local teams refereed by
a famous football star (Kennedy), footprintcollecting. Good press
coverage incl. National television.
- organisations of the IEPCE roundtable, good attendance of representatives
of companies, NGO's, trade unions and government from different
sectors, presentation of CCC work on independent verification and
participation of Lek.
- Workshop for the Baltic Sea Youth Fourm, aimed a tbuilding a network
with groups in Finland, Poland, Russia, Baltic States
- Workshop at the ITGLWF congress (26-30 june) to be held in Stockholm.
Together with IRENE and the garment group of the Nordic federation
of Industry a conference was organized on how trade unions can use
consumer power to support their demands. First start with building
networks locally in Finland, Norway, Denmark. First follow-up meeting
took place.
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