http://vietbao.com/
(click link above to see photo)
Photo AFP/Getty Images

Một hội bênh vực quyền lao động thế giới đã biểu tình ở Hồng Kông hôm
chủ nhật để phản đối ban tổ chức Thế Vận Bắc Kinh vì đã bỏ lơ điều mà
họ gọi là sự bóc lột thợ thuyền của Trung Quốc khi sản xuất hàng cho
Thế Vận. Chỉ vài ngaỳ nữa là Thế Vận, hội Playfair 2008 nói là họ thất
vọng vì Ủy Ban Thế Vận Quốc Tế IOC không chịu khảo sát vấn đề lao động
trẻ em, làm nhiều giờ, lương rẻ khi sản xuất hàng hóa cho Thế Vận.
Nhóm 10 nhà hoạt động này giăng biểu ngữ viết, “Không có huy chương
nào cho Thế Vận.”

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http://www.playfair2008.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=124&Itemid...

Olympics: IOC Inaction on Labour Rights Shameful PDF Print
E-mail
Saturday, 02 August 2008

ImageFor immediate release
International mobilization in 35 countries calls for positive action
to clean up Olympic supply chains

3 August 2008, Hong Kong – Campaigners in Hong Kong, backed by the
Play Fair 2008 global coalition, have today confronted the
International Olympic Committee for its failure to act on widespread
exploitation of workers in the manufacture of Olympics-branded
products.

Read this press release in: French , Chinese , German or Spanish .

Convening today in front of the cultural center on the Tsim Sha Tsui
Promenade at 10.00 am for a day’s worth of activities, including a
photo moment and a speakers’ corner, protesters will show the IOC that
their lack of commitment to basic worker rights is unacceptable.

“Five years have passed since we first called on the IOC to stand up
for the workers who make Olympics products, but it is still business
as usual for them. Once again, money is pouring in to the coffers of
the Olympics movement, but the workers who create the wealth are still
being ripped off,” said Guy Ryder, general secretary of the 168-
million member International Trade Union Confederation, a Play Fair
partner organization.

A clear “road map” of concrete steps that the IOC needs to take to
live up to its responsibility to prevent labour rights violations in
Olympic supply chains has widespread support, yet the IOC has refused
to take action.

According to Play Fair 2008 activists, in the streets of Hong Kong
today to raise awareness of the IOC’s continued stonewalling on the
issue of workers’ rights, the IOC has refused to commit staff or
resources to constructively follow up on the many outstanding issues –
including poverty wages, child labour and excessive overtime – shown
to exist in Olympic supply chains.

“Instead of acting properly on the reports by Play Fair, which gave
clear evidence of the labour violations, the IOC simply passed the
buck to the Beijing organizers, leaving the root problems unsolved,”
said Esther de Haan, from the Clean Clothes Campaign.

“The IOC is out of sync with the spirit of the Olympic movement;
around the world many organizations and individuals have spoken out on
dozens of occasions during the past year about the importance of
having the IOC deal with these issues. The IOC should be a leader, not
a laggard,” said Laiha Cheung, general secretary of the Hong Kong
Clothing Industry, Clerical & Retail Trade Employees General Union.

Play Fair’s research into factories in China producing Olympics
merchandise revealed numerous violations of international labor
standards and Chinese law. Excessive overtime, poverty wages and poor
working conditions remain common in the Olympic products and
sportswear factories. The IOC never followed up properly on the 2007
report and has not taken any action to make sure that Olympic-branded
products would not be made with sweatshop labour. For a full list of
the organizations calling upon the IOC to take action, see
playfair2008.org .

While the IOC has failed to act, companies in the sector are showing
signs of recognizing the extent of the problem and the failure of
traditional corporate social responsibility. At a meeting in Hong
Kong, at the beginning of July, Play Fair organizations and sportswear
companies agreed to form a working group to address some of the root
causes of bad labour conditions in the sector. Also, some national
Olympic Committees are willing to work on the issue. The IOC is very
clearly lagging behind and has taken no steps to address the labour
conditions in their supply chain. See "Leading sports brands, unions,
NGOs form working group ."

“The IOC needs to set the pace, not be a perpetual laggard, leaving
workers open to exploitation and abuse when they are making Olympics
products,” said Neil Kearney, general secretary of the International
Textile, Leather and Garment Workers’ Federation. “The opportunity to
make real change around the Beijing Games has gone; we will continue
our campaign until the day that the IOC faces up to its
responsibilities.”

PHOTOS
High resolution photos of today’s action are downloadable from:
http://www.playfair2008.org/photos/

MOVING IMAGES
From the Thai Labour Campaign & CCC (Workers’ Olympics 2004 )
Catch the flame video: here & here
Fila be fair to workers at Tae Hwa, Indonesia
Nike and their dealings with sweatshops

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
• Play Fair’s road map for the IOC
• Play Fair 2008 research report on working conditions in
factories producing
Olympic logo goods
An update on the four Chinese factories profiled
• For additional info, see www.playfair2008.org and www.catchtheflame.org

INTERNATIONAL CONTACTS:
• Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) International Secretariat
Esther de Haan: Tel. +31 20 412 27 85 (office) or +31 642 24
31 53 (mobile)
• International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
Kristin Blom, Campaigns Officer
Tel. +32 487 38 44 91 (mobile) (Kristin will be difficult to
reach during
August 1st due to long-distance traveling)
• International Textile, Leather and Garment Workers’
Federation (ITGLWF)
Neil Kearney, General Secretary
Tel. +32 2 512 2606 (office) or + 32 475932487 (mobile)

HONG KONG CONTACTS:
• TUC/GUF/HKCTU Hong Kong Liaison Office
Dominique Muller
852-35422614 (office) / 61104096 (mobile)
Staphany Wong
852-35422614 (office) / 93732744 (mobile)
• Hong Kong Clothing Industry, Clerical & Retail Trade
Employees General
Union
Laiha Cheung, General Secretary
852-27708668 (office) / 93084848 (mobile)
• Clean Clothes Campaign (representative in Hong Kong)
Michaela Königshofer
852-93475234