December 17 Action Day in 12 Countries, Spanning Four Continents

On December 17, 2007 human rights, labour rights and consumer organisations across the globe joined hands in an international action day calling on G-Star to guarantee that workers making G-Star jeans don’t suffer from the unethical actions of its supplier

Since 2005, G-Star supplier Fibres and Fabrics International Pvt. Ltd. (FFI) and its subsidiary Jeans Knit Pvt. Ltd. (JKPL) have used the courts to suppress local civil society groups from reporting on labour conditions. When the Clean Clothes Campaign and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) decried the harassment of the Indian human and labour rights organisations, FFI filed suit against them, as well as internet service provider Antenna and CCC’s adsl provider Xs4all. On December 1, 2007 an Indian court ordered the arrest of seven members of the CCC and ICN.

G-Star, the principal client of FFI/JKPL, finally joined other brands in severing its business relationship with FFI/JKPL on December 6.

The activists want to make sure that G-Star acts on its promise of ethical treatment of workers by developing a responsible exit strategy that makes the employment of FFI/JKPL employees its top priority. Actions took place in the following countries: Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Sweden, UK, and USA.

Berlin

Kopenhagen

Brussels

Hong Kong

Bonn

Münster

Neuwied