Ban the brands from our schools!

Submitted by Anon on 5 February, 2004 - 5:17

By Peter Burton, Edinburgh No Sweat

In the last year Edinburgh City Council has let the sweatshop manufacturer Adidas use our schools to promote their brand name.

Some of us don't appreciate our children being influenced in this way and we don't like sweatshop employers, guilty of routinely paying poverty wages (sometime to children), passing themselves off as people whose first concern is a person's welfare.

The Council is having a review of their policy on business sponsorship - we want to make sure they have a policy that plays its part in getting rid of sweatshops and stops these firms from using our children in their interests.

No Sweat, Edinburgh TUC, the SSP, the Greens and school students have started to build a coalition on this vital issue to prevent local authorities and the Scottish Executive going further down the American road of business sponsorship in schools, where deals have been struck with Coca-Cola, McDonalds and Walkers crisps There are no doubt others.

These have bad effects on the health of school children. The promotion of brand names also encourages a materialistic dog-eat-dog consumer ideology in our young people.

The Coalition to Ban the Brands has produced a petition which we intend to circulate throughout Scotland. We are hoping for 10,000 signatures in the Edinburgh area alone. If you as an individual or your organisation can help please get in touch.

  • Contact: Peter Burton or Des Loughney at Edinburgh TUC and No Sweat on 0131 556 3006/0131 556 7318 or ltucrc@aol.com.
    Petitions and leaflets can also be obtained from Mark Ballard MSP or Frances Curran MSP at the Scottish Parliament.

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