Playfair 2012
5/7/2010
The United Road Transport Union (URTU) is a proud supporter of Playfair 2012, and we are are calling on the organisers of London 2012 and the Olympic movement to ensure that the rights of workers making sportswear and Olympic branded goods are respected.
Millions of people are employed in the global supply chains that produce kits for Olympic teams, and the sportswear and Olympic souvenirs available on our high streets. These mainly women workers, not just the athletes, help to make the Olympics possible.
But, evidence shows that the sportswear industry and Olympic movement have a poor track record on workers' rights. There is no excuse for this. The Olympics is a multi - million pound industry.
We believe that it doesn't have to be this way. Together we can demand an ethical Olympics providing Decent Work. London can learn from the successes and failures of previous Games. This means taking a firm approach with companies and sponsors supplying the 2012 Games, and being transparent about the supply chains that produce sportswear and Olympic goods. The Games organisers have engaged with Playfair 2012 and committed to taking some steps, but we need them to go much further.
