To all student activists and campaigning groups:

The anti-sweatshop campaigns No Sweat and Students Against Sweatshops (SAS) are holding our second annual campus week of action against sweatshops.
And we’re inviting you to join in!

The week of action will be from 12 – 18 February 2007. There is a list of events across the country on the SAS home page: http://www.studentsagainstsweatshops.org.uk/

Our themes are:
ï‚· International solidarity with sweatshop workers and their unions;
ï‚· Ethical merchandising on campus;
ï‚· Living wage campaigning on campus to end the scandal of low pay among cleaners, security, catering and other campus workers.

During this week we will be organising a UK-wide speaker tour with an activist from Oaxaca, Mexico (where enormous workers' struggles have taken place over wages and against corrupt government). We have a number of films dealing with the Oaxaca events and - if you book a film theatre or class room with the right equipment - we can fix a meeting/film show on your campus.

We are also putting out an open appeal to bands and DJs: why not play one night during this week for the anti-sweatshop cause? Several bands and DJs have already agreed to play a Rock Against Sweatshops evening.
Why not run a benefit evening in your union, and turn over the profits to the anti-sweatshop movement? Use the event to give the issue a high profile...

During the week we will be targeting a number of firms with lousy records of sweatshop employment, including Apple, who make iPods in Chinese sweatshops, Asda/WalMart, Top Shop and Tesco (leaflets to downlaod, below). We may well also be running actions against JJB Sports who have been in dispute with the GMB union (No Sweat has been helping the anti-low-pay action by picketing their stores), and who have recently victimised a shop steward.

What you and your group can do...
We are asking campaigning groups to pledge to do two things during the week of 12-18 February:
 Set up a meeting to discuss the scandal of sweatshops. We’ve enclosed a copy of our film, ‘The case for solidarity’ (18 minutes, DVD) in case you fancy running a screening, or using it to start a discussion at a meeting;
ï‚· Set up a protest, picket or street action outside one of these notorious sweatshop stores. Collect petition signatures.

We will be providing speakers for meetings, and leaflets and other downloads to help your work (watch this space for downloads). Link up with as many other groups locally as you can, plan your own activities, and join this national initiative.

If you want more information, or want to book a speaker, you can
Phone Heather 07969 597 251
Or email us: admin@nosweat.org.uk
Or visit our site again for the latest info.

Let us know what you’re doing and we’ll publicise your actions.
Send us photos and reports and we’ll tell everyone what you’ve been up to.

Thanks

No Sweat collective, London