In October, Turkish trade union activist Asalettin Arslanoglu will be touring UK universities to share first hand stories of life in the Turkish textile sector and workers’ struggles to win decent working conditions.

Asalettin is Director of Organising, at the Textile Knitting and Clothing Workers’ Union of Turkey and has regular contact with workers making merchandise for the London 2012 Olympics and leading sportswear brands including Adidas and Nike.

Touring with the speaker will be a photo exhibition detailing the daily lives and experiences of workers in Cambodia producing Adidas goods for the Olympics, by the photo journalist Will Baxter.

You are invited to come to join us.

Events will take place at: UCL, ULU, LSE, University of Newcastle (TBC) and UEA. There will also be a public meeting in London. Read more »

Join our demonstration for a sweatshop free Olympics

The International Olympic Committee is coming to London! This is the perfect opportunity to put pressure on the decision makers at the top to make decisive change for workers’ rights and ensure sweatshop-free conditions for workers making Olympic goods and sportswear.

What: A demonstration to tell Olympic bosses to make London 2012 sweatshop free
When: 5 April 2011, 10.30am onwards
Where: Outside Westminster Park Plaza Hotel, London, SE1 7UT



Playfair 2012 are holding a demo outside a high-profile Olympic meeting on 5 April, where we will be posing with our giant ‘SWEATshop free Olympics’ deodorant can and raising awareness of workers’ rights violations in the sportswear and merchandise industry. So join us and show your solidarity for garment and merchandise workers worldwide. Your support is needed to hold placards, hand out leaflets, and generally make a noise.



The Olympics boasts a ‘respect for universal fundamental ethical principles’. The time is now for Olympic officials to apply this to the rights of workers making their sportswear and merchandise.



The Westminster Park Plaza Hotel is at 200 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7UT. During the protest, the Sportaccord Convention will be taking place inside – a gathering of over 1,500 representatives from international sport. Representatives from the IOC and LOCOG will be attending this event.



Map – http://bit.ly/h480d2



Bring a placard and a loud voice.

Playfair 2012 national speaker tour, 18-24 April 2011

As the London Olympics fast approaches, the Playfair 2012 campaign is stepping up the pressure on the Olympic movement and sportswear brands to ensure that the mainly female workers making their products in global supply chains have their rights respected and are paid a living wage.

Olympic branded goods like mascots, bags and key rings are already available on our high streets with most goods manufactured in some of the poorest countries in the world like Indonesia, Bangladesh and Cambodia, or in China, where independent trade unions are still not free to organise. Our activism is needed now to ensure these workers are not being exploited and to support them in their struggles for decent work.  Â

Keynote speaker at all events: Nirosha Priyadarshini Manankanda Dewage, co-President of the Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Union (FTZ&GSEU), Sri Lanka. Nirosha Priyadarshini will provide an insight into working conditions in sportswear supply chains and their impact on the everyday lives of workers and their families. But we will also learn about how workers are mobilising to win better pay and conditions.

Events will take place in London; Nottingham (Prospect Conference); Leeds; Liverpool (ATL Conference); Newcastle; Harrogate (NUT Conference);Â and Glasgow (NASUWT Conference).Â

London : 18 April, 18.15-19.30

Chair: Joanna Ewart-James, Programme Coordinator, Anti-Slavery International

Speakers:

Nirosha Priyadarshini Manankanda Dewage, co-President, Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Trade Union, Sri Lanka

Anna McMullen, Campaign Coordinator, Labour Behind the Label on the Playfair 2012 campaign

Followed by Q&As and action focussed discussions on how to get involved in Playfair 2012

Venue: TUC, Congress House, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3LS. Room Invision 1 & 2

RSVP with full name to Tanya Warlock Free admission with refreshments from 17.45. Download flyer

Nottingham: 19 April, 13.30-14.30

Prospect Young Professionals Conference: The power of one makes a world of difference (members only)

Chair: Beverley Hall, International Development Coordinator, Prospect

Speakers:

Nirosha Priyadarshini Manankanda Dewage, co-President, Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Trade Union, Sri Lanka

Sharon Sukhram, Playfair 2012 Campaign Coordinator, TUC

Followed by Q&As and action focussed discussions on how members can get involved in Playfair 2012

Nottingham University-Jubilee campus Exchange Building, Wollaton Road, Nottingham, NG8 1BB. Room C33. Download flyer

Leeds: 19 April, 18.00-19.30 (apologies – postponed due to circumstances beyond our control)

Chair: Bill Adams, TUC Regional Secretary, Yorkshire and Humber

Speakers:

Nirosha Priyadarshini Manankanda Dewage, co-President, Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Trade Union, Sri Lanka

War on Want [tbc]

Sharon Sukhram, Playfair 2012 Campaign Coordinator, TUC

Followed by Q&As and action focussed discussions on how to get involved in Playfair 2012

Venue: Yorkshire and Humber TUC, 33 Park Place, Leeds, LS1 2RY

RSVP with full name to Chris Beastall.  Free admission with refreshments from 17.00. Download flyer

Liverpool: 20 April, 12.15-13.30

Association of Teachers and Lecturers National Conference (members only)

Chair: Lesley Ward, Former President, ATL

Speakers:

Nirosha Priyadarshini Manankanda Dewage, co-President, Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Trade Union, Sri Lanka

Sharon Sukhram, Playfair 2012 Campaign Coordinator, TUC

Representative from ATL

Followed by Q&As and action focussed discussions on how to get involved in Playfair 2012

Venue: BT Convention Centre, Kings Dock, Liverpool Waterfront, L3 4FP. Room 14 – lunch served from 12.15pm

Newcastle: 20 April 18.00-19.30

Chair: Kenny Bell, Chair – TUC Regional International Forum, UNISON

Speakers:

Nirosha Priyadarshini Manankanda Dewage, co-President, Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Trade Union, Sri Lanka

Anna McMullen, Campaign Coordinator, Labour Behind the Label on the Playfair 2012 campaign

Representative from the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers Federation

Followed by Q&As and action focussed discussions on how to get involved in Playfair 2012

Venue: Black Swan Bar & Venue, Newcastle Arts Centre, 69 Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1SG.

RSVP with full name to Alex Rodgers Free admission with refreshments from 17.45. Download flyer

Harrogate: 23 April, 12.45-13.45

National Union of Teachers National Conference

London 2012: Playing fair in global education (members only)

Chair: Martin Reed, Chair – NUT International Relations Sub Committee

Speakers:

Christine Blower, General Secretary

Sharon Sukhram, Playfair 2012 Coordinator, TUC

Nirosha Priyadarshini Manankanda Dewage, co-President of the Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Union, Sri Lanka.Â

Navdeep Bual and Yasir Yeahia, Winners of the Steve Sinnott Global Education Ambassadors Award 2011

Nina Franklin – President

Venue: Harrogate International Centre, Kings Road, Harrogate, HG1 5LA. Room Queen’s Suite 1

Glasgow: 24 April, 12.30-14.00

NASUWT National Conference (members only)

Chair: tbc

Speakers:

Nirosha Priyadarshini Manankanda Dewage, FTZ&GSEU

Sharon Sukhram, Playfair 2012 Campaign Coordinator, TUC

Representative from NASUWT

Followed by Q&As and action focussed discussions on how members can get involved in Playfair 2012

Venue: Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre, Exhibition Way
Glasgow G3 8YW. Room Alsh – lunch served from 12.30

Find out more about Playfair 2012 and be inspired to get involved!

Read more »