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11 March 2005

STUDENTS CAMPAIGN RESULTS IN CHANGE OF UNIFORM SUPPLIER 

When Natasha Pizzi and Phoebe Maluyo two 16-year-olds from Marian College in Sunshine found that the company making their school uniforms had not signed a code of practice to protect workers' rights, they persuaded their school to change suppliers.

Their story was reported recently in the Melbourne “Age” in a news item relating to the launch of the “No Sweat School” DVD produced by FairWear and available at the FairWear website.

Marian College is one of several schools that have joined a campaign to help stop exploitation of homeworkers - women, generally, who sew at home for some of Australia's biggest clothing companies. There are an estimated 300,000 homeworkers in Australia, with many earning as little as $2 an hour. They often work 18 hours a day, seven days a week, according to Annie Delaney, a co-ordinator at FairWear, a group dedicated to protecting workers' rights.

FairWear is also encouraging shoppers when purchasing clothes to look for the “No sweatshop” label to ensure that it is produced by a company that treats its workers fairly rather than just to consider the style and price tag.

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