Labour Behind The Label

Suwandi made Adidas for 6 years until he was sacked for his union activity. This is the story of one workers struggle for his rights.

Detailed research undertaken inside China by Playfair 08 – represented in the UK by the TUC and Labour Behind the Label - into working conditions in four factories making 2008 Olympic bags, headgear, stationery and other products reveals that factory owners are falsifying employment records, and forcing workers to lie about their wages and conditions.

This report asks fundamental questions about the global sportswear industry – questions that go to the heart of debates on poverty, workers’ rights, trade, and globalisation.

‘Olympism’, in the words of the Olympic Charter, ‘seeks to create a way of life based on … respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.’ This report from the Playfair 2004 Campaign shows that the business practices of major sportswear companies violate both the spirit and the letter of the Charter.