Union wants no sweatshop uniforms

19 March 2001 - One of the largest unions in Australia has joined an international campaign against the manufacture of sweatshop clothing. The LHMU are asking employers in their industries to make sure that all workplace clothes and uniforms worn by members of the union carry a "No Sweat Shop" label.

" School kids are campaigning to make sure their school uniforms are not produced by sweated labour, now their parents, in their workplaces, are joining this very popular campaign to deliver decent working conditions, and fair wages, to garment workers," LHMU Assistant National Secretary Tim Ferrari said.

The first step taken by the LHMU will be to ask for a clause to be inserted into their Starwood Hotel Enterprise Agreement ensuring that all hotel chains uniforms are manufactured by companies signed up and accredited by the FairWear No Sweat Shop label campaign.

"We've had hotel worker members saying they want to know that the uniforms they wear they can wear proudly because it has not been produced under sweatshop conditions," Tim Ferrari said.

The Starwood Hotel chain has around a dozen hotels in Australia. They includ the up-market Westin and W hotels, the Sheraton-on-the-Park, Sheraton Towers Southgate and some smaller Sheraton hotels.

"We are happy with the fact that a number of employers in our industries are already using uniform manufacturers who are signed up to the Fair Wear campaign. We are looking now to spread this process to any workplace where our members have to wear workplace uniforms or other specialised clothes.

" Many of our members have relatives working as homeworkers in the clothing industry, so they have first hand experience of the exploitation that goes on in this industry. That's why this union is enthusiastic about standing up and being counted in helping garment workers get a better deal," Tim Ferrari said.

The LHMU represents over 150,000 workers throughout Australia.