WIREDGOV

As a delegation from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) began a three-day visit last week (Friday 19th) to the site of the London Olympics, the TUC is urging them to ensure that no workers involved in the delivery of the 2012 Games are exploited.

As the head of the Olympic movement, the IOC has a duty to ensure that the Olympics has ethical principles at its core, and this includes ensuring that workers are not badly treated, says the TUC.

The delivery of the London Games involves workers from around the globe, from the textile workers stitching footballs to the construction workers building the Olympic stadium and the various arenas.

The TUC is anxious for London 2012 to be free from the serious labour rights abuses that were uncovered in the run up to the last three Olympic Games - Sydney in 2000, Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008.

Before the last three Olympics, groups representing workers producing clothing, sportswear and toys found widespread evidence of poverty wages, child labour, union busting and forced overtime.

After several requests, the IOC met with international Play Fair campaign representatives in 2004. The IOC has since done little to implement the concrete and workable proposals made to it concerning how to eradicate exploitation from supply chains, and Play Fair campaigners are keen to meet with IOC officials again.

In the run up to London 2012, the TUC has agreed principles of co-operation with the Olympic Delivery Authority and LOCOG - which set standards for the London Games workforce.

In addition the TUC and Labour Behind the Label are running Playfair 2012, a campaign to ensure fair treatment of and respect for the rights of workers in all the supply chains producing sportswear and Olympic merchandise.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'Being in the host city of the next Olympic Games gives the IOC a great opportunity to step up and publicly commit to ensuring that the rights of all workers involved in this and all future Games are respected, and that no-one is exploited in the name of the Olympic ideal.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- Playfair 2012 is co-ordinated by the TUC and Labour Behind the Label, and supported by a variety of unions and campaigning organisations. See www.playfair2012.org.uk for more information.

- Playfair 2012 is part of the international Play Fair campaign, which involves a number of global trade union federations and non-governmental organisations.

- The Olympic Charter says that: 'Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal, fundamental, ethical principles.'

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Register for the TUC's press extranet: a service exclusive to journalists wanting to access pre-embargo releases and reports from the TUC. Visit www.tuc.org.uk/pressextranet

Contacts:

Media enquiries:
Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248 M: 07778 158175 E: media@tuc.org.uk
Rob Holdsworth T: 020 7467 1372 M: 07717 531150 E: rholdsworth@tuc.org.uk
Elly Gibson T: 020 7467 1337 M: 07900 910624 E: egibson@tuc.org.uk