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Carter’s Takes a Stand Against Forced Child Labour in Uzbekistan
Change.org readers have once again succeeded with another petition, encouraging a major clothing brand to publicly oppose Uzbekistan’s use of forced child labour in its own cotton, the International Labor Rights Forum reports.
A statement released on July 19 by Carter’s (which also owns Osh Kosh B’Gosh), notes that “because of the systemic, government-sanctioned [...]
House of Lords Discusses Corporate Pledge Against Uzbek Cotton
The British House of Lords debated corporate governance this week, mentioning the issue of forced child labour in Uzbekistan in the cotton industry and a corporate pledge to oppose the practice .
Responsible Sourcing Network (RSN) has created a pledge to be signed by US and European companies and/or brands and retailers to publicly state a [...]
Sign ILRF Petition to The Children’s Place on Uzbek Child Labour
*UPDATE! After more than 350 people signed this petition, the International Labor Rights Forum heard back from A Children’s Place. The company company has confirmed that it instructs its suppliers not to use Uzbek cotton, joining scores of other companies who have made similar commitments.
Jane Singer, Vice President of Investor and Media Relations [...]
Success for Petitioners: Gymboree Bans Use of Uzbek Cotton
Signing petitions works!
This just in from Change.org –
Children’s clothing manufacturer Gymboree is the latest company to take a stand against child labor by refusing to buy cotton from Uzbekistan. Their web announcement of the policy change comes after over 3,000 Change.org members sent in letters asking for the company to stop [...]
Gymboree Blocks Facebook Critics — But Publishes Prohibition on Use of Uzbek Cotton
Gymboree, the children’s clothing retailer, has blocked critics from its Facebook page who have been trying to get the company’s attention about the sourcing of cotton from Uzbekistan, which is produced through the exploitation of child labor, the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF) reports.
ILRF has called attention to Gymboree in the past, urging the company [...]
“Gymboree Must End Its Silence”: International Labor Rights Forum
Gymboree must end its silence on forced child labor and increased repression in Uzbekistan, says Tim Newman of the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF).
The ILRF has launched a petition at Change.org to call on Gymboree to join other major garment companies in taking a stand against forced child labor in Uzbekistan by publicly opposing the [...]
Gymboree’s empty promises
It’s interesting that Gymboree feels at least a tiny obligation to respond to the query I sent upon receiving word of its charitable leanings:
-Original Message–
From: cassandra_cavanaugh@yahoo.com
Date: 1/4/2010 4:34:58 PM
To: customer_service@gymboree.com
Subject: Fw: Happy New Year From Our Chairman & CEO [#144624]
Dear Mr. McCauley,
Support for a children’s hospital in no way excuses the misery your corporation is bringing to the [...]
Buying absolution? Charity to compensate for slavery
Gymboree is flaunting its charitable bona fides to customers, spreading news of its contributions to St. Judes Children’s Hospital. Never mind the Uzbek children crippled picking the cotton for its clothes have no access to plausible (or any) health care…
Matt McCauley just doesn’t seem to get it. More on that soon.
LL Bean vows to exclude Uzbek cotton
Of all the companies named by the International Labor Rights Forum on this year’s Sweatshop Hall of Shame for the use of Uzbek cotton, LL Bean was the fastest to respond, and vowed to (eventually) exclude it from their supply chain. Let’s hope their follow through is as exhaustive as their initial response was rapid.
Read [...]
LL Bean, Hanes, Gymboree: child exploiters
The International Labor Rights Forum released its list of Sweatshop Hall of Shame inductees for 2009. They include some of the best-known American retailers of children’s clothing…who refuse to stop profiting from the exploitation of children in Uzbekistan. ILRF writes:
While over 25 companies have committed to boycotting the use of Uzbek
cotton until the government ends [...]
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REPORTS
Download 2012 CEGG Report Forced Child Labour in Uzbekistan
The state-controlled forced labor system of cotton production in Uzbekistan continues to violate the human rights of Uzbek children and adults in order to support the central government with revenues from cotton exports. This report identifies alarming trends of the most recent harvests, including the increased tendencies of civil servants forced to pick cotton and children forced to work the most difficult and dangerous end of the harvest. The report calls for an ILO monitoring mission and action from the governments of the European Union and the U.S., the World Bank, and the private sector to stop forced labor in the cotton sector of Uzbekistan.