Anti-sweatshop 'Clean Clothes Campaign' Marks 20 Years: New Book Charts Growth of Global Movement

 Nov 2009

The worldwide anti-sweatshop Clean Clothes Campaign marks 20 years this month, and coinciding with the anniversary a new book on the movement will be launched on November 18. "Clean Clothes" by Dutch writer and photographer Liesbeth Sluiter takes an independent look at how the campaign has grown from an ad-hoc feminist coalition in Holland to an international labour-rights activist network that put corporate accountability on the fashion industry's agenda.

The campaign, one of the most prominent anti-sweatshop organizations today, aims to improve the wages and conditions of workers in the global garment industry. Large retailers such as Tesco, Walmart and Carrefour [or other local examples such as Lidl, Aldi, ...] lure shoppers in with prices that seem too good to be true. This book shows that they are too good to be fair.

All along the industry’s supply chains, workers, including children, are exploited through poverty wages, unpaid overtime and harsh anti-union measures. The campaign urges those in charge of the garment industry’s supply lines to protect their workers and treat them fairly.

This dynamic account of direct engagement by concerned consumers is a must read for those that see globalisation differently and want their shopping choices to support the most vulnerable people involved in the clothing industry.

The CCC has national campaigns in 12 European countries with a network of 250 organisations worldwide, including development organisations, trade unions, women's organisations, human-rights defenders and Hong Kong-based SACOM (www.sacom.hk).

SACOM works together with the CCC to improve workers’ rights to access to labor law information through corporate campaigning and monitoring in China.

For more information on the Clean Clothes Campaign or current serious cases of workers' violations and western brands' complicity, please visit www.cleanclothes.org and www.cleanclothes.org/urgent-actions.

For further information, to request a review copy or to speak to the author please contact Jon Wheatley at jonw@plutobooks.com or on +44(0)208 374 6424.

Clean Clothes: A Global Movement to End Sweatshops

ISBN 9780745327686

Recommendations:

"An indispensable and sure-footed guide to a sweatshop-free future."
Andrew Ross, author of ‘Low Pay, High Profile’ and ‘Nice Work If You Can Get It.’

"A masterful account... There is much insight to be gleaned from this book."

Duncan Campbell, Co-Director, International Labour Organization.