Glastonbury joins call for sweat-free merchandise at the London Olympics

Michael Eavis, founder of the world-famous Glastonbury festival, 12 months from the start of the Olympics, has joined the call for a sweat-free London Olympics as he presented a cheque for £71,000 to anti-poverty charity War on Want, part of the Playfair 2012 alliance, to support a campaign for workers' rights in the supply chains of sportswear firms involved in the 2012 Games.

See photo:http://www.workersbeer.co.uk/databasedocs/doc_1448537922.jpg
(left to right Micheal Eavis presents cheque for £71,000 to Duncan Wilbur War on Want (3rd from left) while Spencer Barnshaw right and Steve Pryle (2nd from left) from BWTUC look on)

Michael Eavis said: "The only sweat we want to see at the 2012 London Olympics should come from the athletes. The abuse of workers in sweatshops runs totally counter to the Olympic ideal of fairness, and no companies found guilty of such abuse should be part of the Games. I am 100% behind this timely campaign, and I hope that millions more people will rally behind its political message."

The donation comes from money raised at Glastonbury by Workers Beer Company owned by Battersea and Wandsworth Trades Union Council. It will be used to support War on Want's campaign against the exploitation of workers supplying sports companies from countries such as China, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

War on Want research over the past five years has revealed that such exploitation is still commonplace, affecting women workers in particular. Most factory workers are forced to endure long hours in appalling conditions for poverty wages, just to keep costs low for profit-hungry Western firms. This project to raise labour standards at the Olympics runs alongside the Playfair campaign which involves TUC and other bodies including War on Want.

War on Want's Executive Director John Hilary said: "We are thrilled that Michael Eavis has thrown the weight of the Glastonbury festival behind the campaign for a sweat-free Games. Companies must not be allowed to wrap themselves in the Olympics flag if they are not prepared to live up to the ideals of the movement. Either play fair by your workforce or take a running jump."

Spencer Barnshaw, Battersea and Wandsworth TUC said: "It is important that the merchandise to be used at the Olympics in London is sourced from ethical suppliers. BWTUC is delighted to use money raised at Glastonbury Festival to support War on Want in their efforts to raise labour standards. We need to use the occasion of the 2012 Olympics as a lever to root out unethical suppliers who exploit garment and other workers overseas."