by René Lavanchy
Students and schools claimed a campaign victory for garment workers’ rights this week after Tesco agreed to boost its production of Fairtrade school uniforms.
Pressure group People and Planet says that Britain’s biggest retailer will stock 50 per cent more Fairtrade uniforms this year, almost doubling the coming year’s projected sales volume.
“At a time of severe economic crisis for cotton growers in places like India and West Africa, this announcement is of great significance”, People and Planet said. Their campaign will now focus on Asda, which stocks no Fairtrade uniforms.
Jim Cranshaw of People and Planet said: “I think it’s the pressure on Asda that made Tesco think ‘we want to stay on the right side of them’. They said to me: “I’m glad that’s not us.”
A Tesco spokesperson said the plans were earmarked for 2010-11 but had not been signed off yet.
