Nike Watch: Building Toward May Day Actions!!!

Nike Watch: Building Toward May Day Actions!!!
Date: 4/20/2004
From: timothyc [at] caa.org.au

NikeWatch News, 21 April 2004

Momentum is building! Over 100,000 campaign actions have been taken in the
first 6 weeks of the "Play Fair" campaign, including 50,000 in France
alone. In response to such strong public support for the campaign, the
International Olympic Committee and some of the sports brands have agreed
to discuss our demands. We need to keep up the pressure so that these
discussions lead to real changes that allow sportswear workers to claim
their rights.

May 1 is international workers' day in many parts of the world and will be
a key day for the "Play Fair" campaign in the Philippines, Hong Kong,
Indonesia, India, Netherlands, Sweden and many other countries. The on-line
campaign tool-kit has a printable campaign petition and lots of ideas for
how you can support the campaign on May 1 in your town or city. You'll find
a link at the bottom of this newsletter.

Contents:
1. Campaign Highlights from Weeks 5 and 6
2. Building toward May Day
3. Campaign Snapshot - India
4. Sports brands start to respond
5. Responses from the Olympic Committees
6. "Play Fair" International Forum in Brussels, April 21 and 22
7. Check out the On-Line Campaign tool-kit.

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1. Campaign Highlights from Weeks 5 and 6

The campaign is growing strongly. In the first six weeks over 100,000
signature actions have been taken around the world (including action
postcards, petition signatures and protest emails). Major contributions
have come from France (50,000) Spain (12,000) and Australia (10,000).

Some of the highlights of week 5 and 6 of the "Play Fair" campaign include:

- In Ireland the biggest daily newspaper (the Irish Independent) published
a 4-page colour education supplement entirely devoted to the campaign.

- In Belgium campaigners launched an alternative torch relay and expect
more than 100 local actions with a common element of running, biking or
walking with a torch.

- In Canada an article on the campaign by former Olympian Bruce Kidd was
published in Canada's national paper, The Globe &
Mail
(http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20040416/COOLY
MPIC16/TPComment/TopStories).

- In France, campaign organisers estimate that so far there have been 130
campaign actions in 91 French towns organised by 86 local groups.

Check out the events section of http://www.fairolympics.org for more reports of
campaign events.

*********************************************************************
2. Building Toward May Day

The ICFTU and Global Unions have called on unions around the world to
demand respect for workers' rights and for women workers on May 1st this
year, and have specifically encouraged connections to be made with Play
Fair at the Olympics.

In Indonesia, India, Netherlands, Sweden and many other countries May 1
will be a key day for the "Play Fair" campaign, with campaigners planning
to have a big presence at May Day events. In Hong Kong for example there
will be a speech about the "Play Fair" campaign at the May Day rally, and
campaigners will carry campaign banners and placards and circulate leaflets
during the march. The Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) and
labour rights groups are seeking to meet with the Hong Kong National
Olympic Committee to discuss campaign demands.

In the Philippines the Workers' Assistance Centre are involved in
organising a range of exciting street events. At 6.30am on May 1 the
Solidarity of Cavite Workers (SCW) cultural group, the Teatro Magdiwang,
will set off fireworks and lead chants and songs outside the Cavite Export
Processing Zone gate. From there the action will move to the market place
of Rosario, Cavite where a street play regarding the "Play Fair" campaign
will be performed. There will also be marches and speeches in the afternoon
as part of the May 1 campaign. Working conditions at Cavite, including
repression of trade unions and low wages, were described in detail in Naomi
Klein's book "No Logo" and in a recent ICFTU briefing
(http://www.icftu.org/displaydocument.asp?Index=991218415).

Other campaign plans in coming weeks include a torch light procession for
sportswear workers' rights in Udevalla Sweden on 17 April, leafleting
outside sports stores in Australia, a Play Fair banner in the union march
through central London, campaign actions at the Madrid Marathon on 25 April
and at a football tournament in Switzerland on 1 May.

For more information on planned campaign events see:
http://www.fairolympics.org/en/events/database_test.php

*********************************************************************
3. Campaign Snapshot - India

A number of trade unions and labour rights groups in different parts of
India are taking part in the "Play Fair" campaign. The HMS trade union
centre introduced the campaign to Indian women activitists on 9th April
during a national workshop in Kota. The participants made a campaign banner
and everyone at the conference signed on. HMS is hoping to persuade other
National Trade Union Centres in India to take up the campaign and to
attract signatures from hundreds of thousands of workers across the country.

In Tirupur in South India the labour rights NGO SAVE, the MLF trade union
and a number of other unions are also participating. The city is a centre
for production of apparel and sportswear and women and men working in the
sector face very difficult conditions, with forced overtime and violation
of health and safety laws being particular problems. Local groups are
planning to organise:

- a fact-finding team to research conditions in the local sportswear industry
- campaign workshops for trade unions, NGOs, garment workers and athletes
- a signature campaign so workers and others can show their support
- campaign banners and an Olympic torch during 'May Day' celebrations in
the region.

*********************************************************************
4. Sports brands start to respond

When the "Play Fair" campaign was launched all targeted sportswear brands
were sent a letter communicating the campaign objectives and asking for a
response. From among the target companies we've had responses from Puma,
Asics and Mizuno, all of whom have agreed to meetings to discuss ways of
addressing the exploitation highlighted in our campaign. It is too early to
say whether they are willing to ensure that workers' rights are respected,
but dialogue is at least a small step forward.

There have been no detailed responses yet from Fila, Lotto, Kappa or Umbro
- these companies will be prioritised in our campaigning and on the
international website over the coming months.

*********************************************************************
5. Responses from the Olympic Committees

We finally have the attention of the International Olympic Committee, which
met with campaign representatives on April 16. The IOC Director General
expressed some sympathy with the campaign aims and, pending an internal
discussion, has promised to report back to us in mid-May.

National Olympic Committees (NOCs) in Austria and the Netherlands have
responded positively to the campaign, acknowledging the issues and
promising to raise the topic within the IOC. However there has been no
positive response yet from the NOCs of Bangladesh, Australia, USA, Thailand
and Canada. The more National Olympic Committees that we can persuade to
support the campaign, the greater our chance of persuading the Olympic
movement to play a positive role in fighting exploitation and abuse of
workers in the sportswear sector.

We need to keep up the pressure on the IOC and the NOCs in order to
persuade them to become part of the solution for workers in the sportswear
industry. In Canada, "Play Fair" campaigners attended the NOC conference on
April 18 and 19 to increase the pressure for a positive response.

*********************************************************************
6. "Play Fair" International Forum in Brussels, April 21 and 22


Representatives of the sportswear industry, the International Olympics
Committee, NGO's, trade unions and consumers have been invited to an
international forum in Brussels on April 21 and 22. The aim is for an open
discussion to take place between all groups to find a positive path ahead
for workers in the sportswear industry.

Workers and labour rights groups from Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Sri
Lanka and Turkey will describe current problems facing men and women in the
sportswear industry.

Adidas and the international body for sports brands (the World Federation
of Sporting Goods Industries) have agreed to attend and to engage in the
debate. Unfortunately the IOC and Fila have declined our invitation.

*********************************************************************
7. Check out the On-Line Campaign tool-kit

Interested in getting the "Play Fair" message out during May Day
celebrations in your part of the world? Check out the On-Line Campaign
tool-kit at http://www.fairolympics.org/en/actnow/toolkit.htm

The toolkit also has links to national "Play Fair" campaigns in many
countries. Don't forget to send reports on any campaign events you organise
to olympics [at] sydney.caa.org.au

Tim Connor
Advocacy Coordinator (Labour Rights)
Oxfam Community Aid Abroad
61 (0)403 339 578
Fax: 61 (0)2 9280 3426
PO Box 1711
Strawberry Hills NSW 2012
Level 3, 25 Cooper Street
Surry Hills NSW 2010
AUSTRALIA