The organizers of the 2008 Olympic Games have been urged to consider
how they can improve the conditions of workers supplying goods and
services for the event.
The Beijing Olympics Organizing Committee (BOCOG) has issued a report
called No medal for Olympics on labour rights, confirming widespread
forced excessive overtime, the use of under-age workers, underpayment
of employees, breaches of health and safety regulations, dubious hiring
practices, absence of due maternity leave and a lack of safe means for
workers to report grievances.
However, BOCOG is ignoring the problems, says Playfair 2008, a campaign
run by the International Trade Union Confederation, the International
Textile, Leather and Garment Workers’ Federation, the Clean Clothes
Campaign and their affiliates and partners.
Playfair 2008 criticizes the BOCOG investigation for failing to mention
compensation or redress for underpaid workers and is disappointed that
the International Olympic Committee has made no comment.
The campaigners want the organizers to act to improve working
conditions at the offending factories and involve labour support groups
and other stakeholders, instead of operating a cut-and-run policy. In
particular, they regret that BOCOG has cut ties with one of the
suppliers, Lekit Stationery, instead of working with it to find a
remedy.
The first steps, says Playfair 2008, are to set up confidential
channels for workers to report violations and to persuade the companies
to provide training and information on workers’ rights. It believes the
International Olympic Committee should take the lead.
Playfair 2008 says: ‘Sustainable improvements across global supply
chains will only be achievable if workers can freely represent their
own interests, through organizations of their own choice, that is,
through independent trade unions. Failure to recognize and respect the
rights to freedom of association and to collective bargaining, widely
recognized as enabling rights, will mean that future violations will
inevitably occur.’
