Tuesday, 7 August 2012

War on Want takes campaign to outside the Olympic Park

Kirsty Weakley - 6 August 2012

Crowds leaving the Olympic Games last night were subject to a guerrilla campaign by workers' rights charity War on Want lambasting sponsor Adidas for its treatment of Cambodian workers.

War on Want projected a 65-foot high image on to a building overlooking the Olympic Park which showed the Olympic sponsor’s logo with the word "exploitation" replacing the brand name, and featuring the slogan "not ok here, not ok anywhere”. The projection was followed by a slideshow explaining the campaign against Adidas, as 80,000 people left the Olympic Stadium following the men’s 100m final which was won by Usain Bolt.

Murray Worthy, War on Want’s sweatshops campaigner, said: “Adidas are making millions, yet the workers who produce their clothes have to skip meals just to get by. This is exploitation. It wouldn’t be OK for Adidas to do this in the UK and it shouldn’t be OK anywhere else. Adidas must ensure that workers are paid enough to live.”

The charity has accused Adidas of paying Cambodian workers £10 a week basic pay and forcing them to work overtime.

Adidas has not responded to the campaign's latest action. A spokesman for War on Want said that more than 500 people tweeted their support for the campaign.
View the video of the projection below:

Source: civil society

No comments: