An update on the Playfair campaign, which is one of the segments within the NUS’ Society & Citizenship Green Zone. More information on the other work within the Green Zone can be seen here and here.

What is Playfair?

The Play Fair at the Olympics campaign is being coordinated in the UK by the Trade Union Congress, Labour Behind the Label and Oxfam GB and forms part of an international campaign organised by Global Unions, Clean Clothes Campaign and Oxfam International.

The aim of the campaign is to focus public attention on the supply chain practices of major sportswear companies and the impact these have on the working conditions of hundreds of thousands of mostly women workers around the globe.

The campaign is calling on the companies to change the business practices that lead to workers being exploited. They are also calling on the International Olympic Committee and the British Olympic Association to include labour rights as part of the criteria for awarding licences to use the Olympic symbols to sportswear makers.

How is NUS involved?

The TUC was recently successful in gaining Government funding for awareness raising activities as part of this campaign, and they want to work with students in schools, in colleges and in Universities.

NUS will be supporting the TUC in the distribution of campaign materials and action cards over the coming months to raise awareness of the supply chain practices of major sportswear companies which are frequently purchased by individual students. As the campaign gets closer to the Olympics, NUS will be asking students to take a more pivotal role, by applying pressure to the British Olympic Association and the International Olympic Association.

In addition to the broad attempt at raising public consumer consciousness, NUS will also be helping the TUC, Label Behind the Label and People & Planet examine the policies and practices of the supply chains used in our colleges and on our campuses.

In partnership with the People & Planet Buy Right campaign the Playfair campaign will seek to set up ethical purchasing groups on campus, made up of students and staff who will review the policies and the procedures for reviewing the ethics of the Union and University supply chains.

Why is NUS involved in this campaign?

Ethical considerations are at the core of many student campaigns. Struggles for better working conditions encapsulate the values within our movement; equality, democracy and collectivism. Yet issues such as these can be riddled with complexities, and plagued with disputes, a task far too big for a student movement to tackle alone.

Therefore when the Playfair campaign arose it seemed like an ideal solution. Our members want to do something about poor working conditions, the TUC have resources, links to workers, and years of experience. 

The additional beauty of the Playfair campaign is that it has a specific target, the 2012 Olympics. There is a direct link here between our members, many of whom have links to the Olympics, not to mention the fact that the Games are being held within this country, which allows us to exert more pressure in the lead up to 2012.

It is important to also consider what this campaign can do for students and students unions.

A student’s time at College or University can open new avenues of information, expose people to new ways of thinking and provide fresh perspectives.

Informing students about the individual impact they have on the lives of millions of others through the consumer choices they make is one way NUS can influence and shape our 7 million members.

What’s more it does have an impact.

Research conducted shows students are more likely to make ethical considerations when purchasing goods than non students. And what’s more those choices are likely to remain with an individual for a lifetime.

The last reason why NUS believe this campaign is right and relevant to students unions is the sheer size of Universities purchasing power within the market place. Every year thousands of students undertake sport, buying kits for college and University teams. Those purchases allow represent a significant percentage of the overall market, and if Universities were to act more collectively and ethically on clothes, as they do on coffee, then we could make a huge impact- and that’s without considering the knock on effects.
So what can you do?

The campaign has just begun but you can still help by:

1. Completing this short survey for the Playfair campaign;
2. Signing up to the Soc & Cit newsletter to see how you can be involved in future actions. To join the newsletter email Andrew.henry@nus.org.uk;
3. Reading the P&P Buy Right booklet, and begin to ask questions about your Universities supply chain;
4. Download an e-action card and send it to the companies involved and British Olympic Association. Visit the campaign website here.

For more information on the campaign and what you can do to get involved including information on how to get involved locally and frequently asked questions and answers click here.

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