|
|
NEWSLETTER 13, NOVEMBER 2000
Running for labour rights
News from the Austrian CCC
|
"Let's run fair!" has been a rallying call for the
Austrian CCC's activities in 2000, planned and organised by Frauensolidarität
(Solidarity among Women). Many lectures, informational tables
set up in public and staffed by experts and a press conference
introduced the highlight of the campaign: The Vienna City Marathon,
held on May 21st 2000.
About 300 runners showed their support for the Clean Clothes Campaign
by wearing a t-shirt designed by Frauensolidarität. Famous
sportswomen and politicians took part in the action and expressed
their solidarity. At the end of the run a party was held in front
of the Austrian parliament. Since the City Marathon the running
action was repeated at the Women's Marathon, held June 18th in Vienna's
Prater park and amusement area and again on September 17th 40 km
outside of Vienna in Austria's beautiful vineyards in Wachau at
the Wachau Marathon, in cooperation with the regional Workers Union
(Österreichischer Gewrkschaftsbund Niederösterreich, ÖGB
Frauen). This means of reaching the public has really taken off
and many other groups have organised CCC running actions on their
own.
Frauensolidarität installed an e-mail distribution system
for urgent actions, and since August has used this system to support
workers actions in Thailand, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Honduras.
The campaign is also collecting action-cards and signature lists
targeting Nike and Adidas. In late autumn an action in cooperation
with the Workers Union is planned to hand over these items to the
manager of Nike-Austria.
Frauensolidarität has finished a report on the discussion
about social standards within the conventional and ecological garment
sector in Austria. Originally the campaign planned to use the findings
to produce a pamphlet for consumers on "Where to buy social
fair clothes in Austria?" but in the end this idea had to be
shelved. The research results were quite sobering. Among the conventional
garment companies in Austria there was no cooperation with the CCC
-- of more than 200 questionnaires sent out, only seven replied.
Four of those seven were eco-garment companies. Following research
on these eco-garment companies the Austrian CCC concluded that the
ecological code of conduct was weaker than that of C&A, for
example. The campaign will be releasing a critical overview of the
situation not only in the mainstream fashion industry, but also
in the ecological textile branches. For more information on this
report, please contact the Austrian CCC.
In the short-term, upcoming activities in Austria include a workshop
with youth organizations from the Socialist party, and a possible
Christmas action on Vienna's famous shopping mile (the Mariahilferstraße),
and hopefully in other towns throughout the country.
In the longer term, a project has been designed on "Women's
Rights and Social Standards. The example of the garment industry
and selected branches of the Service Sector." This project
is expected to include a conference and panel discussion on the
"Re-regulation of World Trade" with a special focus on
women (with participants from Central America and South Africa),
a tour of two speakers from the South throughout Austria, the publication
of the book "Changing Realities of Labour and Trade,"
and a film special for International Women's Day on 8th, on women
workers in the garment industry and the CCC.
|
