Sheffield Top Shop No Sweat Protest

No Sweat activists in Sheffield, with the help of members of the Independent Socialist Youth Forum, organised a protest outside Topshop on Fargate to highlight sweatshop labour and support the day of action against Arcadia (including Topshop). Sweatshop workers have been making clothes for Arcadia - while Philip Green, owner of Arcadia recently gave himself a £1.2billion pay-off!

In May 2004, over 1000 workers at the Fortune Garments factory in Cambodia signed a petition requesting a pay increase. Their request was denied and the workers went on strike. The ensuing dispute has yet to be fully resolved 18 months later. Meanwhile, 19 union leaders and 120 union members were dismissed, and the threat of legal action used against some union activists.

Arcadia's attitude has been to ignore these violations, even though they are a clear violation of the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining enshrined in Arcadia’s own code of conduct as well as in internationally recognised standards.

Many passers-by stopped to chat and to sign our petition to reinstate the union activists, especially when the overzealous store manager called town centre security - who soon realised we were exercising our legitimate right to protest.

Arcadia are just one of a large number of high street stores selling clothing and other products made by sweatshop workers. For more information, and to get involved with No Sweat, visit  http://www.nosweat.org/ or e-mail  sheffield@nosweat.org.uk

More information from Label Behind the Label:  http://www.labourbehindthelabel.org/campaigning/arcadia.htm