KICK SWEATSHOPS OUT OF FOOTBALL
NO SWEAT | 16.06.2002 17:16
While most people were in the pub celebrating England's victory over Denmark in the World Cup, about 50 protestors were giving the red card to Nike and it's lack of action on giving it's millions of workers worldwide decent living and working conditions. With the Elvis soundtrack backing us up, we exposed Nike to passersby, explaining the conditions that Nike workers slave under. For example, children as young as 8 or 9 years old in India and Pakistan are forced to put together footballs for the world cup. These children are paid 18p for a ball that is marketed for £64. That is superexploitation.
Tha's slave labour. Instead of being at the peak of their fitness, teenage workers will be old within a few years, their bodies and health destroyed by the conditions that they work under. Like Ronaldo and Beckham, they've sold their youth to Nike, but they won't retire to a life of lucrative crisp advers ot tv commentating. They are disposeable commodities to these companies; once they are worn out they'll be sacked to be replaced by another set of desperately poor people.
At 3pm, the protestors decided to show a bit of action and take Oxford Circus for an impromptu game of footie. Wicked! The cops were taken completely off guard and had to run to catch up (maybe a little less donuts and a little more exercise). We took Oxford Street and headed down to Hyde Park to continue our match.
But the cops panicked and started trying to shove us back on the pavement. They were being very agressive to a very peaceful demonstration. As we neared Marble Arch, three cops jumped on one of the protestors as he walked on the road. Then they tried to forcibly disperse the rest of us, saying 'Now you've had your little protest, so go home.' Condescension - a step too far.
We didn't go home. We sat in the park planning our next action and providing legal support for our capitive comrade.
Get involved in the No Sweat! campaign. There are actions happening all over the UK, so get in touch and we can let you know what is happening. Or better yet, set up an action in your own area!
END SLAVE LABOUR! END CHILD LABOUR!
NO SWEAT
e-mail:
nosweat_london@hotmail.com
Homepage:
www.nosweat-uk.org
Comments
Hide the following 9 comments
to get involved:see http://www.nosweat.org.uk
16.06.2002 20:47
The latest contributions are:
Anita Roddick: an effective opponent of sweatshops?
Leeds NUT appeal for Dita Sari (Indonesian militant union leader) gets off to good start
Oxford Uni Students Union to investigate Uni's branded merchandise
Women in Florence : ESF Women's Mobilisation
Trade Justice Movement lobby parliament : Wednesday 19th June 2002, Westminster
Oxford TUC backs anti-sweatshop campaign
Campaign for World Cup labour rights : Child labour is allegedly used in making some footballs
all at http://www.nosweat.org.uk
along with a load of resources, leaflets to download, factsheets, weblinks on sweatshop labour and other anti-sweatshop campaigns, news items, debate on strategy, issues and tactics, and and and....
To join the No Sweat email list (light traffic) send an email to
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Contact No Sweat, PO Box 36707, London SW9 8YA
07904 431 959 mailto: admin@nosweat.org.uk
Leeds: mailto: leeds@nosweat.org.uk
Leicester: 07771 533055 mailto: leicester@nosweat.org.uk
London - East: mailto: elondon@nosweat.org.uk
London - North: mailto: nlondon@nosweat.org.uk
London - South and West: mailto: slondon@nosweat.org.uk
Manchester: 07951 741640 mailto: manchester@nosweat.org.uk
Newcastle: 07931 564544 and 07812 378297 mailto: newcastlenosweat@hotmail.com
Northampton: 07790 054217 mailto: northampton@nosweat.org.uk
Nottingham: 07786 184230 mailto: nottingham@nosweat.org.uk
Oxford: mailto: oxford@nosweat.org.uk
Sheffield: mailto: sheffield@nosweat.org.uk
Southampton: mailto: southampton@nosweat.org.uk
York: mailto: york@nosweat.org.uk
Is your town not listed?
Could you be a local contact?
If so, email us! at mailto: admin@nosweat.org.uk
--
Not Sweating
e-mail: admin@nosweat.org.uk
Homepage: http://www.nosweatuk.org
Get involved:http://www.nosweat.org.uk
16.06.2002 21:21
just take a look at our website, which is dynamic (anyone can post or leave comments) and updated daily!
Full of news, debate, discussion on targets and tactics and resources to download (factsheets, leaflets, stickers, photos, etc.), it's at http://www.nosweat.org.uk
The most recent postings are:
Anita Roddick: an effective opponent of sweatshops?
Leeds NUT appeal for Dita gets off to good start
Oxford Uni Students Union to investigate Uni's branded merchandise
Women in Florence : help mobilise women's groups for the ESF
Trade Justice Movement lobby parliament
Urban 75: top five to boycott
Campaign for World Cup labour rights
PCS trade union votes to support No Sweat
East END Sweatshops: we campaign with the GMB union against sweatshop factories in the East End
...and loads of reports on our activities on the high street and elsewhere
Get in touch with No Sweat! E-mail us at mailto: admin@nosweat.org.uk
and why not join our (light traffic) e-mail list to be kept informed? Just send a blank e-mail to mailto: majordomo@leftlists.org.uk [no nasty Yahoo! or Microsoft advertising...] with the instruction
subscribe nosweat
as the body of your message
Local contacts are currently as follows:
Leeds: mailto: leeds@nosweat.org.uk
Leicester: 07771 533055 mailto: leicester@nosweat.org.uk
London (East): 07904 431959 mailto: elondon@nosweat.org.uk
London (North): 07904 431959 mailto: nlondon@nosweat.org.uk
London (South and West): 07904 431959 mailto: slondon@nosweat.org.uk
Manchester: 07951 741640 mailto: manchester@nosweat.org.uk
Newcastle: 07931 564544 and 07812 378297 mailto: newcastlenosweat@hotmail.com
Northampton: 07790 054217 mailto: northampton@nosweat.org.uk
Nottingham: 07786 184230 mailto: nottingham@nosweat.org.uk
Oxford: mailto: oxford@nosweat.org.uk
Sheffield: mailto: sheffield@nosweat.org.uk
Southampton: mailto: southampton@nosweat.org.uk
York: mailto: york@nosweat.org.uk
Area not listed? Want to start a local group? Help and more info from mailto: admin@nosweat.org.uk or 07904 431959
--
No Sweat, campaigning against sweatshops in the UK and worldwide
Po Box 36707, London, SW9 5YA. mailto: admin@nosweat.org.uk Tel 07904 431959
You can join No Sweat by sending £2 (cheques and POs to "No Sweat", please) to the address above. This entitles you to No Sweat mailings and votes at our meetings and conferences.
Send us some stamps for a load of our latest stickers and plaster your local buses, trains, tube and high street (particuarly outside Nike, Gap, Disney stores, for example).....
Cheeky Money
e-mail: admin@nosweat.org.uk
Homepage: http://www.nosweat.org.uk
a little more fact-checking
17.06.2002 10:18
TJ
Ummm..
17.06.2002 14:39
So, like, yeah, stuff sucks.
chris
chris
re fact checking
17.06.2002 17:09
to get involved (and help make sure the facts are right next - and every - time) mailto: admin@nosweat.org.uk
bloody hot and sweating
e-mail: wiganwigan@yahoo.com
Homepage: http://www.nosweat.org.uk
Why in the UK?
17.06.2002 23:53
Paul Edwards
Examples
18.06.2002 00:07
Paul Edwards
in the uk because
18.06.2002 18:14
why not "outside the factories"? well in most cases, these factories aren't in the uk. but the firms who commission these factories to produce products for them ARE, as are their high street outlets. so that's the next best thing.
there are sweatshop factories in the uk. e.g. in the east end of london. we campaign with the gmb (for example) union to unionise those factories to enable the workers there to improve their own working conditions themselves.
"naming and shaming" is part of this.
we want to build an anti-sweated labour campaign not just in the uk. but across the world. if you want to help us, whereever you are, mailto: admin@nosweat.org.uk and we'll see how we can work together!
matth
matth
e-mail: wiganwigan@yahoo.com
Homepage: http://www.nosweat.org.uk
facts, info, details
18.06.2002 18:22
math