A campaigner's guide to letter writing

Friday, 07 April 2006 11:11

Writing a letter to a company about workers' rights issues is possibly the most powerful way to achieve changes in working conditions. Why? Because it tells companies that consumers care, and responding to consumers' demands means making more money.

It's when consumers have told companies that they want their clothes to be produced in decent conditions that we have seen improvements: that's why the companies that were put under pressure in the 1990s, like Nike and Gap, have started to take steps to improve conditions in their supply chains.

There is still a long way to go, so please keep writing! The following pages are a guide to writing letters. Letters can be to any company you want to know more about or in response to an urgent appeal or campaign.

1. Letter writing tips

Use standard letter format
Letters can be handwritten or typed, so long as it is legible. Sign the letter and print your name below. Make sure your contact details are at the top of the letter.

Be polite and courteous
Phrase the letter in a way that suggests you are interested in what they are doing on these issue and are open to what they have to say.

If you can find a contact name, use it
You may be able to find a name for the customer service manager or their chief executive on their website. Alternatively you can phone and ask. If you can't find a name write to the customer services department (this will almost always be on their website).

Write as a customer
Companies are more likely to respond to their own customers raising queries, so introduce yourself as a customer. If you have a label or receipt from something you have bought, you may want to include this with the letter.

Ask specific questions
Most of the time companies will just respond with a stock answer from their PR department, so you need to ask questions that can't be so easily avoided. Rather than "please tell me what you are doing about sweatshops", you should ask questions like, "What proof do you have that working conditions are OK in your factories?" "Where are your clothes produced?" and "How much are workers paid in your factories?"

Make it clear that you expect a reply
You could end the letter with a phrase like: `I look forward to hearing from you shortly on the points raised' (Ensure that you have written your postal or email address at the top of the page).

Keep in touch with us
Let us know what you have sent and send us copies of the company's response if you can.

Persevere!
If you feel the company hasn't responded adequately to your letter or you are not convinced by their reply then follow up with a response. Suggested responses to common company replies can be found here.The next two pages give some ideas for writing - either to a company that you are interested in or as a response to an urgent appeal.