ACTION GUIDE

SF Action Guide final version.indd 1 8/16/2019 12:23:32 PM People & Planet are no longer running this campaign.

We will continue to make this resource available for any groups who wish to undertake similar campaigns, but we are unable to offer further support at this time.

WHAT IS THIS GUIDE FOR?

This guide has been produced by People campaign has put millions of pounds back CONTENTS & Planet to give you the knowledge into the pockets of workers and improved and skills you need to run an effective working conditions in across the Free campaign at your globe. university. You can be part of this campaign and part 3 – WHAT IS THIS GUIDE FOR? People & Planet is the largest student of the international movement for workers 4 – ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY ABUSES activist network in the UK campaigning rights and supply chain justice. By starting on social and climate justice. Since or joining a Sweatshop Free campaign, 5 – FROM FACTORIES TO MINES 2008, students in the People & Planet you can stand in solidarity with workers in 6 – WHY RUN SWEATSHOP FREE? network have been campaigning against exploitative conditions from factories to sweatshop labour, taking more and more mines, and push your university to commit 7 – SUPPLY CHAIN TRANSPARENCY creative actions as the years have gone to stamp out . 8 - SAMSUNG WORKERS FIGHT BACK by. During this time, the Sweatshop Free 10 – UNION BUSTING AT SAMSUNG 11 – SOLIDARITY 14 – ELECTRONICS WATCH 21 – BUILD A TEAM TO CAMPAIGN FOR WORKERS RIGHTS 22 – YOUR UNIVERSITY 23 – RAISING AWARENESS 24 – CAMPAIGN TO GET YOUR UNI TO JOIN ELECTRONICS WATCH 26 – ESCALATING YOUR CAMPAIGN 27 – CAMPAIGN VICTORY! 28 – CAMPAIGN TIMELINE 29 – JARGON BUSTER 30 - RESOURCES 31 - FUNDRAISING

2 3

SF Action Guide final version.indd 2-3 8/16/2019 12:23:32 PM ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY ABUSES FROM FACTORIES TO MINES

Computers made in sweatshops end regulations. Internationally, across a Workers’ rights aren’t only ignored and of Congo have been accused of using up in our stores, schools, colleges, variety of industries, modern abused in the factories that manufacture and being controlled by universities, communities, workplaces generates estimated profits of $150 billion components or assemble computers. militias. Copper and gold mines in and homes. annually, directly profiting the wealthiest. Mongolia have seen substantial water The minerals that are used inside usage that could lead to water shortages Workers that made them likely spent Workers have no choice but to endure electronics – from mobile phones to to nearby communities. Striking platinum excessively long hours in dangerous exhausting working hours and workplace laptops – are sourced from large scale miners in South Africa were shot at by factories. Some are at risk of developing intimidation in order to make barely mines across the globe. Many of these their national Union and by police in 2012. cancer from toxic chemical exposure, enough to survive. suicides mines cause extensive environmental which also pollutes the environment. have hit headlines across the globe but damage, as well as drive labour rights Many of these minerals end up in the Many sweatshop workers experience conditions are yet to improve to the extent abuses for miners. electronic devices we use everyday, violence and are at risk of modern slavery. needed to address this issue. and these violations of labour rights and Cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic environmental protection are common. Despite working in repressive conditions, Throughout the Global South, poverty many workers in the electronics industry and climate change is driving people have organised collectively for better from their villages to work in sweatshops. Sweatshop Free! treatment and conditions. Let’s stand with These sweatshops are found in free-trade People & Planet’s Sweatshop Free campaign is part of a global movement of people workers who are struggling for fair pay zones in cities where factory owners coming together to defend, extend and win rights for workers in the electronics and conditions! are usually exempt from protecting industry. In tackling social and environmental injustice in university supply chains, most workers’ rights, tax and safety the campaign brings together students and workers in a coalition capable of challenging the root causes of unacceptable working conditions and operating WORKER RIGHTS ABUSES IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL practices. FACTORIES ABUSES IN MINES • Excessively long working hours. • Child labour • Low pay • • Workplace abuse and humiliation. • Environmental pollution - of air, • Working with dangerous materials water and soil in unsafe conditions. • Forced evictions of communities • Restrictions on the right to form or near mines organise Trade Unions • Control by armed gangs or militias • Highly Casualised work • Workplace violence and • Forced overtime intimidation • Exploitation of migrants • Limited access to Trades’ Unions.

4 5

SF Action Guide final version.indd 4-5 8/16/2019 12:23:33 PM WHY RUN SWEATSHOP FREE? SUPPLY CHAIN TRANSPARENCY

WORKERS RIGHTS: a feminist issue: A COMPLEX SYSTEM Capitalism exploits us all, and it is up Workers, mostly young women, are Electronics supply chains are complicated industry, we need to see what’s going on to us all to fight back. By standing in paid poverty wages, too low to survive webs. Major brands such as Dell, Apple inside electronics supply chains. Only solidarity with workers in the electronics on, while the richest accumulate or HP do not directly employ most of through transparency can we then put wealth at the expense of the poorest. industry, supporting their rights to the workers who make their goods. pressure on brands that are sourcing Women face discrimination as well as unionise, and using our privileged Instead subcontracted companies, often from sweatshop factories and exploitative exploitation. They work double days, position as students to hold wealthy in the Global South, manufacture the mines, as well as powerful manufacturing earning on average 25% less than men universities accountable, we reognise components and put together the final companies like Foxconn or mining for the same work. At home, they care products that end up in our hands and on corporations like BHP Billiton. While it that all our struggles are linked. for their family and manage household our desks. Brands often claim they have would be impossible for individuals to chores. little or no responsibility for the working achieve this, our universities are large Employers both actively discriminate Climate justice: conditions in factories, where their enough to effect this kind of change. They against women who are of childbearing For the rapid decarbonisation to happen, products are made or the mines where have massive budgets for buying ICT age by forcing them to provide the minerals are sourced from, but this is equipment and spend millions of pounds our society will become increasingly urine samples as a condition of their not true. The distance between factories every single year on computers and other electrified. For a Just Transition to be employment, as well as exploiting and mines, brands and consumers makes electronics. They can use their leverage possible, one that is fair for all workers, female workers as factories consider it difficult to find out the exact situation to change the industry. conditions in tech factories need to them to be more “obedient” and less- workers face. To make changes in the drastically improve. In this way, the likely to join or form a union. Sweatshop Free campaign is an essential Women are less likely to report part of climate justice. harassment in the workplace for fear of losing their livelihood.

Human rights: migrant solidarity: The most basic protections that we all Many of the workers that staff tech should share are often violated by the factories are highly casualised electronics industry. From mines to migrants. Factories have been found to factories workers are denied human withhold passports and other essential rights such as freedom from forced documents from migrants in order labour and the freedom of association. to leverage forced labour. By taking Child labour has been uncovered in the concrete steps to address these issues, electronics supply chain, and these the Sweatshop Free campaign also injustices demand urgent action. stands in solidarity with migrants and against borders.

6 7

SF Action Guide final version.indd 6-7 8/16/2019 12:23:34 PM SAMSUNG WORKERS FIGHT BACK

RESISTANCE “I CAN'T TELL YOU WHO I AM, In October 2015, workers in South Korea began a sit-in at Samsung’s exhibition centre in Seoul after the company walked out of negotiations with workers who WHERE I LIVE, OR WHAT I LOOK became ill after working in dangerous conditions. The group are organised under SHARPS – Supporters for Health and Rights of People in the Semiconductor Industry, and were involved in a long running campaign for justice for workers. LIKE. IF SAMSUNG FOUND OUT, I Many of the workers have contracted cancer as a result of their exposure to toxic chemicals in their work. COULD LOSE MY JOB. Reports show that up to 76 workers have lost their lives. Samsung are notorious for their failure to adequately compensate victims. In 2016, Al Jazeera reported that the company has actively sought to cover up information that would help workers and their families get the justice they deserve. The sit-in lasted almost three years THE FUTURE OF MY FAMILY – THE and only ended in July 2018, after SHARPS finally won an agreement for negotiation from Samsung. This is a huge victory for workers and shows the value of collective LIVELIHOOD OF MY WIFE, SON, action! AND DAUGHTER – WOULD BE AT RISK. BUT HERE'S WHAT I CAN SAY: I'M A SECRET TRADE .” ANONYMOUS SAMSUNG WORKER

8 9

SF Action Guide final version.indd 8-9 8/16/2019 12:23:34 PM SAMSUNG WORKERS FIGHT BACK SOLIDARITY

UNION BUSTING AT SAMSUNG WHAT IS SOLIDARITY? Freedom of association, or more can support workers who could face Solidarity cannot exist only in theory, it image of the brands involved, without fear specifically, the right of workers to join reprisals. Intimidation of Trade Unionists demands action. Solidarity is a practice of repression. trade unions and organise collectively or outright restrictions on trade union of using your time, position, skills and When the oppression of workers happens is vital for securing fair pay and working membership are frequently found within resources to struggle alongside other behind closed doors, with great personal conditions for electronics workers. the electronics industry. Samsung is people for a shared goal – our collective risk attached to resistance, us speaking Without this, electronics workers one of the brands who have faced most liberation. It is the recognition that no one out and taking action in solidarity with have very little power as individuals regular and widespread allegations of is free until we are all free. their struggles can be a powerful and useful tool for fighting back. to challenge labour rights violations. union busting. As residents of the Global North, in Samsung’s workers are often employed wealthy, electronics consuming countries, on inadequate or precarious contracts, and as students we have a position that NO-UNION POLICY allows us to use that privilege as leverage meaning workers can be quickly made for workers in the global electronics redundant if they challenge employers Samsung is known for operating supply chain. over basic workers’ rights. This is why a ‘no-union policy’. Allegations freedom of association is a human right, include monitoring suspected union Rather than speaking for workers, we and why it’s so important. organisers, actively attempting to have an opportunity to amplify the voices disrupt trade unions from forming, of those workers and communities If workers can join a trade union, they creating an intimidatory environment experiencing the exploitation first hand. can challenge labour rights violations and even kidnapping. To do it publicly, in a way that damages the as a collective voice, and the union

10 11

SF Action Guide final version.indd 10-11 8/16/2019 12:23:35 PM PRACTICAL SOLIDARITY SUCCESSFUL SOLIDARITY

TAKE ON THE INDUSTRY ON YOUR HIGH THE BADIDAS CAMPAIGN STREET In 2011, 2,700 workers in an Indonesian garment factory were laid off without Taking on the electronics industry and only in raising public awareness about the receiving legally owed redundancy pay. Nike and other partners in the factory seeking to tackle the abuses found in issues, but also of pushing brands to take immediately paid their share of the money, whilst refused to pay the £1.2 factories and mines is no small task. action to eradicate abuses. million they owed. An international campaign was then launched, led by workers Global electronics brands are huge When workers in the electronics industry from the factory. companies generating billions of pounds call for solidarity campaigns and action in profit, operating in countless countries against the brands that are complicit in People & Planet students participated in two international days of action which and employing thousands of people. abuses, getting creative and taking the were called involving demonstrations at Adidas and Footlocker stores across the One way to put pressure on brands is struggle to their stores is a powerful way UK, the US and Europe. Thousands of action cards were signed and delivered to to take the fight against workers’ rights of achieving change. Get involved in the Adidas themselves. This happened alongside continual protest and struggle from abuses onto your high street. Brands care People & Planet 48 hours of action against workers on the ground in Indonesia. about their image, and organising actions Samsung union-busting in October. outside of their stores is effective, not Adidas finally settled and paid the money that they owed in April 2013. The campaign was a total victory, setting an important precedent for international campaigns pushing for companies to take responsibility for factories in their supply chains.

12 13

SF Action Guide final version.indd 12-13 8/16/2019 12:23:35 PM ELECTRONICS WATCH

Solidarity actions are a vital tool that we rights organisations in 2013, the aim was “ELECTRONICS WATCH IS can use to win workers’ demands for fair to create an organisation which would pay and working conditions. achieve long term improvements for workers in electronics manufacturing THE ONLY ELECTRONICS However, change for workers won’t be across the world, utilising the leverage of won through highstreet solidarity actions large-scale electronics purchasers. alone. They must be run in conjunction MONITORING ORGANISATION, with campaigns that work towards Universities can join Electronics Watch to systemic change of the industry as a address worker rights abuses and other whole. injustices in their supply chains. When WHICH SERIOUSLY INVESTS IN joining, they write human and labour This section is about an organisation rights guarantees into their contracts with called Electronics Watch: the first WORKER DRIVEN MONITORING, suppliers. Electronics Watch conducts independent monitoring organisation monitoring of factories on behalf of its working for better pay and improved members, reporting back to them about WHICH IS THE BEST WAY OF conditions within the electronics industry, conditions and treatment of workers. through worker driven monitoring and They then engage with global brands, the power of large-scale buyers like manufacturing companies and factory HIGHLIGHTING ISSUES, AND universities. owners to address any labour rights When Electronics Watch was launched violations that have been found. OBTAINING REPARATION.” by an international coalition of workers’ DAVID FOUST, CEREAL, MEXICO

14 15

SF Action Guide final version.indd 14-15 8/16/2019 12:23:36 PM ELECTRONICS WATCH

HOW DOES ELECTRONICS WATCH ELECTRONICS WATCH WINNING CHANGE MONITOR FACTORIES? Since factory monitoring began in 2016, Electronics Watch has already taken huge steps to improve working conditions across the world. From Czechia to China and Electronics Watch began monitoring supply gathering other evidence through visiting from the Philippines to Thailand, thousands of workers have been interviewed. chains in 2016, and is now monitoring 11 factories. By placing workers at the centre Through Electronics Watch monitoring and negotiation, over 100,000 workers have countries, including China, the Philippines, of the monitoring process, Electronics Thailand, Mexico and the Czech Republic. Watch is not only more empowering for received money back in their pockets and improvements in their conditions. The monitoring Electronics Watch conducts those directly affected by the issues, but is puts workers first, to ensure that a full also more effective in uncovering the truth. picture is gained of conditions. Electronics Issues like whether or not workers feel ABUSES IN A CZECH STAMPING OUT STUDENT INTERN Watch monitoring is described as being they have the ability to join trade unions are ELECTRONICS FACTORY LABOUR IN CHINA “worker driven”. Workers are empowered to impossible to understand without speaking A 2016 Electronics Watch investigation In 2015, Electronics Watch found server initiate investigations through cooperation directly to workers. Electronics Watch is found a number of concerns including with civil society organisations in going beyond reporting about labour rights manufacturer in China committing electronics producing countries. Those civil violations but working with its affiliates, unequal pay and treatment of directly severe labour rights violations including society organisations then conduct off site brands and manufacturers to improve the employed and indirectly employed forced labour. Some students were interviews with workers to build a sense of situation of affected workers. workers, highly precarious contracts, forced to perform an internship the conditions within a factory, as well as restrictions on workers’ ability to form unrelated to their course in order to trade unions, short notice times for shifts, graduate. excessively long working hours and WHY SHOULD UNIVERSITIES JOIN ELECTRONICS WATCH? Electronics Watch evaluated evidence random fines. • Electronics Watch gives institutions • Revelations of workers’ rights abuses for the allegations and worked with its a comprehensive overview of their in a supply chain will be damaging to Since the initial investigation, Electronics affiliates to negotiate improvements. supply chain – where the factories a university’s reputation. Electronics Watch has been engaging with the brands This helped spur action by the major they source from are located, and Watch reports are initially confidential and manufacturing company involved on brands that were sourcing from the what the conditions are like. to members, meaning they can behalf of its members which have sourced factory. All brands committed to address concerns before they hit the from the factory. Successes have included • Institutions have a duty to improve the temporarily halting student labour at headlines. moving workers away from 12 hour shifts conditions which the products they the factory. and onto 8 hour shifts, winning wage buy are made in. Electronics Watch is • Electronics Watch helps institutions improvements for indirectly employed In 2017, Electronics Watch ran a follow- built to achieve that. in the UK comply with the Modern workers and ensuring workers receive a up assessment. They found that Slavery Act, which requires • Large purchasers of electronics like minimum payment, irrespective of their stricter student internship policies had institutions to take steps to avoid universities have much more power number of hours worked, to mitigate been implemented, and requirements modern slavery in their supply chains. than individuals. By collaborating in against fluctuations in production. that the design of internships fit with Electronics Watch, they have even • Joining Electronics Watch will give students’ courses. In August 2017, more. Using that power can bring your university points in the People & the factory was no longer employing about real change. Planet University League. student interns.

16 17

SF Action Guide final version.indd 16-17 8/16/2019 12:23:36 PM ELECTRONICS WATCH

ELECTRONICS WATCH WINNING CHANGE WHICH UNIVERSITIES HAVE GONE TACKLING UNION BUSTING IN THE PHILIPPINES SWEATSHOP FREE? Electronics Watch received an anonymous complaint from a worker in a Since launching in 2014, a whole host Guildhall School of Music & Drama, factory in the Philippines. Upon responding to that complaint, it was uncovered of organisations across the world have London Metropolitan University, London that 87 workers were laid off including all 63 union members, the day after joined Electronics Watch and made the Southbank University, Royal College of workers came together to form a union. Many of the workers did not receive commitment to stamp out sweatshops Art, Royal Vetinary College, SOAS, St early termination compensation. Workers accused managers of taking direct in their ICT supply chains. This includes George’s, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of measures to bust unions in the factory. a wide range of UK universities, and Music & Dance, University of Greenwich, we won’t stop until the entire sector is University of Westminster, Birkbeck, Due to Electronics Watch work and legal orders, 22 workers who did not receive affiliated. LSE, Queen Mary, Royal Central School early termination pay have since been reinstated and re-employed by the of Speech & Drama, Royal Holloway, factory. Electronics Watch is continuing to work with suppliers to ensure that Electronics Watch affiliates: University of London, Goldsmiths, those workers are reinstated on the same terms and conditions and don’t face Kingston University, London Business reprisals for union organising. APUC, the big buyer for Scottish School, London School of Hygeine & universities, affiliated to Electronics Tropical Medicine, Ravensbourne, Royal Watch on behalf of its members, so all Academy of Music, Royal College of Scottish Universities are covered. Music, University of East London and EXPLOITATION IN THAILAND. University of the Arts London. In 2016, Electronics Watch received information that migrant workers in a factory The following universities are

in Thailand were having passports and other documents withheld. independently affiliated: Collectively, this represents a huge They were employed by a subcontractor, and charged unlawful and extortionate Durham University, Bournemouth amount ICT purchasing, and has played a recruitment fees. When migrant workers are deprived of passports and personal University, Swansea University, University massive role in the successes Electronics identity documents and charged high recruitment fees, their freedom of of Leicester, Nottingham Trent University, Watch has had in improving workers’ lives movement is limited. They are therefore at risk of forced labour or . University of Sheffield, University of described earlier in this guide. Winchester, Loughborough University, After engagement from Electronics Watch, recruitment agents and Manchester Metropolitan University and subcontractors at the factory returned passports and work permits and began If you want your university to be next and University of Leeds. to compensate workers for fees and wage deductions. However, in 2017 workers to take steps to stamp out sweatshop again reported that recruitment agencies were charging them excessive fees. London Universities Purchasing abuses, set up a Sweatshop Free Therefore, Electronics Watch launched an in depth research project to identify Consortium (LUPC) also affiliated to campaign on your campus! the extent of labour rights abuses in the factory. Electronics Watch on behalf of its Electronics Watch continues to conduct ongoing work to improve labour members, meaning the following unis are conditions in this factory and across the Thai electronics industry. covered:

18 19

SF Action Guide final version.indd 18-19 8/16/2019 12:23:36 PM WHY IS ELECTRONICS WATCH NEEDED? BUILD A TEAM TO CAMPAIGN FOR WORKERS' RIGHTS

Taking action for workers’ rights is much harder to do alone. In order to get your CAN'T COMPANIES JUST DO IT university or college to join Electronics Watch you’ll want to build a team. THEMSELVES? Get together with your friends, recruit some passionate people and remember to think outside the box about who to invite: a diversity of experiences and opinions often makes A commonly presented alternative to of a company without actually improving a group stronger. Reach out to feminist, Green, sustainability, Labour and anti-racist Electronics Watch is Corporate Social conditions in the factories. societies on campus. Set up a meeting, share ideas and plan your campaign. Responsibility (CSR), or Social Auditing. In some cases, a social audit has declared Over the next few pages, you’ll find loads of information about how to run an effective This usually means that businesses a factory safe, and only months later Sweatshop Free campaign. These are the kinds of things you’ll want to discuss and plan assess themselves on how ethical there has been a disaster. In Pakistan and out with your group! they are, or get a massively profitable Bangladesh, factories declared as safe company invested in the industry to do an have collapsed only weeks after an audit, evaluation of their practices. killing thousands of people.

Billions of pounds have been spent on We need worker-driven monitoring. CSR over the past 20 years with little Workers know what is happening, and effect because in reality this process is they have the best solutions for the often little more than a superficial tick problems they experience every day. box exercise, used to improve the image Electronics Watch provides this.

“ELECTRONICS WATCH AND OTHER LABOUR RIGHTS ORGANISATIONS HAVE DOCUMENTED MANY FLAWS IN SOCIAL AUDITING PRACTICES OF THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY; FOR EXAMPLE: AUDITS MAY RECORD THE CONDITIONS OF THE FACTORY FOR THE DAY OF THE VISIT, BUT THEY ARE UNABLE TO CAPTURE THE DAY-TO-DAY CHANGES IN THE FACTORY. WORKER-DRIVEN MONITORING CAN HELP ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES BY PROVIDING INFORMATION FROM A DAILY-BASIS AND ON-THE-GROUND PERSPECTIVE.” DAVID FOUST, GUADALAJARA, MEXICO, CEREAL

20 21

SF Action Guide final version.indd 20-21 8/16/2019 12:23:36 PM RAISE AWARENESS OF WORKERS' RIGHTS YOUR UNIVERSITY ABUSES

Every year, each university spends up to By coming together, universities can One of the first things you’ll need to do when taking action against worker’s rights £12 million on electronics. This goes into begin to demand information on where abuses in the electronics industry on your campus is to spread the word and raise companies with records of human rights their products are made, what conditions awareness! abuses. they are produced in and apply pressure Here are just a handful of ideas of how you could get the message out and make sure to improve practices within the supply everyone knows what the issues are. This huge spending also means chain. universities can have a massive impact on

the practices of companies. When large KNOCK ON DOORS That’s why our Sweatshop Free campaign LEAFLETS AND POSTERS If you have lots of students living buyers come together, they can make is calling for universities to come together Get your message out by plastering in Halls, go out and speak to them. important requests of brands like Apple, and join Electronics Watch to help stamp your campus with printed materials. Speaking to people directly is a great HP and Dell. out labour rights abuses! Think about where gets the most way to get people involved with your student traffic. campaign. RESEARCHING YOUR INSTITUTION When starting a campaign, it’s important to know how your university works, who FILM SCREENINGS makes decisions and what policies are in place. You might want to find out: SPEAKER EVENTS Screen a documentary on workers Is there an academic at your • Are you already affiliated? Check Electronics Watch’s website. rights or sweatshops, and why institution that researches global • What purchasing consortium are you a member of? not have a discussion about your supply chains or workers rights? • How much does your institution spend annually on electronics? campaign afterwards? Invite them to give a talk! • What electronics companies does your university or college source from? • Who is responsible for procurement (processing purchasing)? SOCIAL MEDIA You’ll be able to find out some of this by searching through the website or by asking LECTURE SHOUT-OUTS Set up a Facebook, Twitter and/or staff. For others, like annual electronics spend and their suppliers will be a lot harder Give a quick 1 minute announcement at the start of lectures. You’ve got an Instagram accounts and spread the to find. For that information, you might need to submit a Freedom of Information engaged audience waiting to learn! word online. request. To get help drafting one, e-mail [email protected] STALLS STUDENT MEDIA IDENTIFYING YOUR TARGETS be supportive and yet have little power. Can you get an article published in Some will have all the power, but won’t Set up a stall in a busy area on your When researching your institution, an your student newspaper? Can you support you. Some people you might campus to distribute leaflets and talk important thing to find out is who will be get a slot on your campus TV or radio want to identify could be: to students. most helpful in winning your campaign. station too? Students’ Union Officers You’ll want to find out who is supportive • of your campaign, who has the power to • Sustainability Manager RUN WORKSHOPS Procurement Manager make decisions and who has influence • People & Planet can support your campaigns by coming to your institution and over decision makers. Some people will • Student sustainability societies running workshops about Sweatshop Free or campaign skills.

22 23

SF Action Guide final version.indd 22-23 8/16/2019 12:23:37 PM CAMPAIGN FOR YOUR UNI OR COLLEGE TO JOIN ELECTRONICS WATCH YOUR CAMPAIGN

Lobbying and awareness raising are important first steps but very few campaigns are successful of the back of this alone. Most of the time, they will require a movement SOCIAL MEDIA LOBBYING in public and outside of private meetings to build pressure and demonstrate popular Tweet @ their Twitter handle, hijack university hashtags, comment on their posts, support. Make sure you’re showing the breadth of support for your campaign and make tag them in yours. This helps spread messages and pressure an institution at the management feel under pressure to give in to your demands! same time! INVOLVE STAFF START A PETITION When students and staff work together, they’re unstoppable! Contact staff Prove people support your campaign! Start a petition where students and staff can encouraging them to sign an open letter to the institution. Work with the unions on sign to give their name to your demands. campus like UCU and Electronics Watch affiliated UNISON! People & Planet have a bespoke petition tool which you can use for your campaigns. GET CREATIVE! You’ll have control over the messaging and be able to contact all of your signatories. Sweatshop Free campaigners have in the past built giant computers, dressed up as Our staff can also support you to design and put together the petition. cardboard robots and deconstructed person-sized phones to put pressure on their institutions to join Electronics Watch and stand in solidarity with workers. Try and PASS AN SU MOTION snap a great photo of a group of students making a visual point about the campaign. Support of your SU is really helpful. SU officers have access to management – they’re These work well on social media and in the press! valuable advocates for campaigns. Remember that as you’re taking actions and building your campaign, you’ll want to keep in regular contact with decision makers at your university. It’s a good idea to DEMONSTRATE! send management a letter after each of your actions, and make it public. Keep setting Mass rallies and demonstrations of public support can be a powerful show of up meetings and engaging in conversations, but always remember that the true strength of your campaign lies in the movement outside of the negotiation room, so strength, a great photo opportunity, and hard for university management to ignore. don’t get weighed down by meetings! MASS E-MAILS Create a template e-mail for students to send your target and ask them to individually send it in. It wont be long before their inbox starts to get really clogged up! BANNER DROP Drop a banner from a visible spot on campus to show you aren’t going away! Try and get somewhere high or creative to keep it up as long as possible! PHOTO PETITION Photograph hundreds of students holding a sign with your campaign demands. Upload them to social media, create collages, spread it around!

24 25

SF Action Guide final version.indd 24-25 8/16/2019 12:23:38 PM ESCALATING YOUR CAMPAIGN

There will be times even after continued lobbying, demonstrations of support and high profile actions, where you still won’t have achieved your objectives. Sometimes, you CAMPAIGN VICTORY! might feel like you are being delayed for no reason or not being listened to. At every stage, it’s important to keep the door open to negotiation and meetings. The If this happens, don’t be afraid of taking bolder actions. Often this is the only way to further along the campaign you get, and the more you escalate, the more likely it is that make an institution pay attention to a campaign, take it seriously and begin to listen to management will be willing to meet with you. Make sure to keep pushing for meetings to it’s demands. discuss your campaign.

At this stage, you not only want to show that you are willing to take more radical and disruptive actions than before, but also that more people are supporting your VICTORY GET TRAINED UP campaign. Are there any groups you haven’t built support with on campus yet? Can you So you’ve run your super successful You can do ‘train the trainer’ training find new allies outside of campus? Are there any bigger and more direct actions you campaign and after the long slog of with People & Planet and become can still take? escalation, lobbying and movement an organiser in your region, so you building, you’ve finally won! What next? can go on to train other groups. By OPEN DAY ACTIONS BRANDALISM sharing what you’ve learnt, you’ll be able to help grow the movement. Universities tend to think of students as Altering university branding and SHARE customers, so hit them where it hurts – messaging to support your campaign Make sure you share your story all CELEBRATE their wallet. and make a point about their inaction over social media. Write blogs, give Have a party to celebrate all the Unis like to make sure they are looking interviews and share resources to let can irritate them, so you know it’s worth amazing things you’ve achieved! It’s their best on open days, so taking doing! Where are their big shiny signs others learn from your success and vital to celebrate your successes and action that can damage their public and statues on campus? what you’ve done well. Big successes share them with the wider movement. image and reputation here is a powerful are inspirational and your story will Don’t forget to share and celebrate tactic! encourage others to start campaigns milestones along the way too. Try and or take theirs up a notch, so it’s really do a bit of fundraising while you’re at it! PHONE BLOCKADES OCCUPY! important that you spread the word! Pick a time and day and get a group of Perhaps it’s time to occupy a NEXT STEPS students to call your target over and management building or your Vice MEDIA Make sure that your group stays together and decides what they’d like to over again asking them to meet your Chancellor’s office to push Electronics There’s lots to do to publicise your work on next. The struggle for justice is Watch higher on the agenda. If there’s campaign demand. It doesn’t take many win and get the story out to the broad, and one win is by no means the people to block phonelines and people a prominent outdoor space on your press. You’ll need to appoint media end! Make sure important information is can participate from anywhere in the campus, you could even set up a spokespeople, write press releases handed over if people are leaving, and world! vibrant camp! and be ready with photos. you are in a strong position to recruit new members.

26 27

SF Action Guide final version.indd 26-27 8/16/2019 12:23:38 PM CAMPAIGN TIMELINE JARGON BUSTER

All of the information in this guide should help you along your journey of planning an FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION PROCUREMENT effective Sweatshop Free campaign. Part of the process of building a successful The right for people to join, ‘or Making purchases of goods or services campaign is planning strategically over time. associate with’ trade unions and for an organisation, typically on a large You’ll want to think about building a timeline which takes into account things like when participate in collective action. scale. students are around on your campus, when exams and coursework deadlines tend to Freedom of association is often seen as fall, and how you want to build momentum over time. a “gateway” right, as it allows workers TRADE UNION There are also some key dates in the year that will make sense to mobilise around for to collectively bargaining for other An organisation of workers who come your campaign. Here are just a few: rights in the workplace. together to organise collectively, usually for things like better pay or working PURCHASING CONSORTIUM/ conditions. 48 HOURS OF ACTION AGAINST SAMSUNG: 25 AND 26 OCTOBER CONSORTIA Purchasing consortia are organisations SOLIDARITY As you know from earlier in this Action Guide, Samsung have a reputation of that coordinate large scale buying on Standing with a group whose interests systemic worker rights abuses. One of the most damaging of these is their disregard behalf of lots of other organisations. or goals may be different to your own. for freedom of association. In October, People & Planet are joining the international Organisations join together in consortia in This often involves bringing awareness of campaign to abolish Samsung’s no-union policy and organising 48 hours of action order to increase their purchasing power another groups’ issues back to your own targetting the company. and negotiate better deals. community, and requires that you take leadership from the people affected by an We have some money available to fund campaigning against Samsung, so if PURCHASING POWER issue. you have an idea for a creative action, get in touch with us at sweatshopfree@ The ability for large scale purchasers to peopleandplanet.org and we may be able to fund you! use their influence and market leverage WORKER-DRIVEN MONITORING to make demands of their suppliers, for A model of monitoring factories within ESCALATE! ESCALATE! ESCALATE!: TERM 2 OF ACADEMIC YEAR example around cost, performance or a supply chain that puts workers at the practices. heart of its methodology. Worker driven After Christmas is a great time to turn up the heat on your campaign, taking more monitoring ensures that workers are able confrontational and regular actions. Being rested from the break and energised to ELECTRONICS WATCH to initiate investigations, are sources hold your uni to account is a great moment to ensure you’re taken seriously. Electronics Watch helps public sector of information and are informed of and organisations work together and involved in devising solutions. collaborate with local monitoring partners CAMPAIGN HANDOVER: JUNE AND JULY to protect the labour rights and safety of SYSTEMIC CHANGE Often overlooked, it is hugely important that any members leaving pass on all the workers in their electronics supply chains. Changes made that tackle the root causes important skills and knowledge needed for running the campaign, and make sure of issues. the group is in a strong place to recruit new people. Power Shift, People & Planet’s SUPPLY CHAIN annual summer gathering, most often held in July, is a great opportunity to get A system of organisations, people, PUBLIC PURCHASERS newer members skilled up and confident to continue and strengthen the campaign activities, information, and resources Any public organisation or institution that in the coming year. involved in moving a product or service buys or ‘procures’ supplies from supplier to customer.

28 29

SF Action Guide final version.indd 28-29 8/16/2019 12:23:39 PM RESOURCES

ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY FUNDRAISING ELECTRONICS WATCH WEBSITE WHY The Electronics Watch website is packed full of more info on how they work and the Running campaigns can cost money. It is a good idea to take advantage of any process for joining. You can also find all the publically published reports on working opportunity you have to stock up some cash so no one goes out of pocket, and your conditions in the electronics industry from China to the Philippines and the sector group can be as accessible as possible. more broadly. It’s all available at: electronicswatch.org Twitter: @ElectroWatch FUND PEOPLE & PLANET GOOD ELECTRONICS NETWORK Running People & Planet also costs money! Being a radical, student-led organisation Good Electronics is a network of campaign and research organisations, trade is a very hard thing to do under capitalism. Donations allow us to do that, and run unions and activists seeking to address problems in electronics supply chains. great campaigns for social and climate justice across the UK and Ireland. Visit Good Electronics focus on all aspects of the supply chain, from mining to smelting peopleandplanet.org/fundraise for details. to factories, and are looking at improving both workers rights and environmental sustainability. Their website is: goodelectronics.org DIRECT DONATIONS If you can, a regular donation helps the organisation and the movement immensely. PEOPLE & PLANET WEBSITE Just £3 a month makes a massive difference, and helps keep us independent. If The People & Planet website has loads of Sweatshop Free specific campaign a one off donation is more doable for you, any amount is greatly appreciated! See resources – peopleandplanet.org/sweatshopfree peopleandplanet.org/donate The People & Planet staff team are available to give you support for your campaign and run trainings for your group throughout the year, both on Sweatshop Free and HAPPY BIRTHDAY! on on all the skills you need to run a successful campaign: People & Planet is 50 years old this year, which is a legacy we are really proud of. Get in touch at [email protected] or 01865 403 225 When it’s your birthday, why not set up a Facebook Fundraiser for People & Planet? Visit facebook.com/fund/peopleandplanet/ MOVEMENT BUILDING GUIDE People & Planet have produced a guide like this one for movement building on WE CHALLENGE YOU ALL campus. The guide goes into more detail on all of the campaign and movement Could you do a sponsored challenge to raise some cash for radical student building skills you need to grow a successful, active group. The guide should have campaigns? Any idea could be a winner, whether it’s a marathon, a sky dive, a been sent out to your campaign group in their freshers pack and is available on the sponsored silence or even shaving your head! People & Planet website. RAG SOCIETIES SOCIAL MEDIA If your uni has a RAG society, you could get People & Planet nominated. We can To keep up with what other student campaigns are doing, as well as ideas and help you fill out an application form. For this and any other help, drop us a line at inspiration, follow the Sweatshop Free campaign’s social media: [email protected] facebook.com/sweatshopfreeuk Twitter: @sweatshopfreeuk

30 31

SF Action Guide final version.indd 30-31 8/16/2019 12:23:39 PM WHAT CAN YOU DO ON YOUR CAMPUS? 1 FIND A GROUP AND LAUNCH A SWEATSHOP FREE CAMPAIGN • If you don’t already have a People & Planet group at your university or college, we can help you set one up. • You could also run the campaign as a group you are part of, such as a sustainability society or feminist society etc • Host a People & Planet workshop on sweatshops and campaigning: we can come to your uni! 2 LOBBY YOUR UNIVERSITY TO AFFILIATE TO ELECTRONICS WATCH • Use this action guide to build a movement against sweatshops on your campus! 3 STAND IN SOLIDARITY • Organise protests in solidarity with workers in the electronics industry fighting for their rights. • Put on film screenings, invite guest speakers, make leaflets and posters to spread the word about the struggle for justice happening in university electronics supply chains.

This guide has been funded with support from the European Commission. This guide reflects the views only of the producer, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. This guide has been produced as part of the Make ICT Fair project. Make ICT Fair is a collaboration of 11 European organisations seeking to improve working conditions and sustainability with ICT supply chains - from procurement to manufacturing to mining. Thanks to the Good Electronics Network for supporting this project. 32

SF Action Guide final version.indd 32 8/16/2019 12:23:39 PM