YUSU accepts mistakes over ethical merchandise
YUSU has admitted making a mistake in accepting six free t-shirts produced by Fruit of the Loom, a company frequently condemned by human rights groups for the exploitation of workers in the developing world, to wear during Freshers’ Week.
AU President Jo Carter accepted the shirts, to be worn by YUSU Sabbatical officers during Freshers’ Week, from sports merchandise company ADM, with whom the AU has a line of credit. Carter admitted that she, and a numer of other sabbatical officers, including President Anne-Marie Canning, knew the shirts were Fruit of the Loom before accepting them.
Carter said: “With hindsight, the decision to accept the shirts was clearly a very, very bad move.” Canning said: “It’s a sad situation.” Both Canning and Carter claimed the action did not violate YUSU’s ethical merchandise policy as no money was exchanged for the shirts.
Academic and Welfare Officer Grace Fletcher-Hall has refused to wear the t-shirts on the grounds they are not ethically produced but would not comment on the decision of other officers to wear them.
In a YUSU document entitled ‘Ethical Merchandise’, a section describes “shocking violations of workers’ rights by clothing companies like Fruit of the Loom (including forced pregnancy tests in order to fire pregnant employees)”.
YUSU have ensured that this year’s Viking Raid t-shirts are fairtrade, unlike the Fruit of the Loom shirts used last year. A press release sent out by YUSU stated: “YUSU has worked very hard to find a supplier to provide 1700 ethical t-shirts.”
