An accountant at the G20 summit Apr 3, 2009
This was the outcome of a massive amount of work by Christian Aid, Action Aid, Oxfam, War on Want and others that I worked with before this event to make sure that the benefits of tax haven reform reach the countries that really need it. Now we have six months to work on the detail. (Accounting Web, UK)
Thousands march in London ahead of G20 Mar 29, 2009
In an unprecedented alliance of supporters of Put People First which range from the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to the Salvation Army, Friends of the Earth to Oxfam and Shelter to War on Want, the demonstrators held out slogans such as "Workers for the world united," "Knowledge is power," "Drop the debt," "Clean up global finance," "Smash Capitalism" and "Climate emergency," expressing their anger at the policies that have seen poverty exist alongside huge top banker bonuses. A little girl... (Xinhuanet, China)
Thousands expected to march ahead of G20 summit Mar 28, 2009
Supporters of Put People First range from the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to the Salvation Army, Friends of the Earth Oxfam, Shelter, to the War on Want. Organizers said the march will give ordinary people a voice to express their anger at the policies that have seen poverty exist alongside huge top banker bonuses. (Xinhuanet, China)
Wages row overshadows Banana Republic launch Mar 21, 2008
The American corporation said it had begun an inquiry following claims by War on Want, which campaigns for ethical practices in the fashion industry, that labourers in Gap factories producing Banana Republic clothes were working for 15p an hour ... According to War on Want, the chain has been buying products from independently run factories near Delhi where machinists work 70 hours a week for a few pence an hour ... A group of campaigners from War on Want gathered at 10am to protest against the... (Independent)
Should you buy Kenyan roses for Valentine's Day? Feb 14, 2008
Paul Collins, War on Want ... "Our focus is on workers on these farms, mainly single mothers, who in the run-up to Valentine's Day work up to 14 hours a day," War on Want's Paul Collins said. (BBC News -- Business)
Service abroadTighter rules call to weed out 'rogue' mercenaries Dec 5, 2007
War on Want protestors picketed the security firms' conference ... In the meantime, the firms are left to regulate themselves - and vulnerable to attacks from groups such as War On Want ... " Mercenary costumes Dozens of representatives from British private security companies attended BAPSC's second annual conference. The Association was formed last year in "to raise the standards of operation of its members and this emergent industry". The conference, held at the Royal Geographical Society in... (BBC News -- UK)
'Mercenary' crackdown urged Dec 4, 2007
War on Want says the US and Iraq are taking steps to regulate the industry and urges the UK to follow suit ... In a briefing released to coincide with the second annual conference of the British Association of Private Security Companies (BAPSC) on Tuesday, War on Want says there has been a rapid expansion in the use of PSCs since the beginning of the conflict in Iraq ... War on Want cites incidents of private guards being involved in fire fights with militia, says they regularly come under... (BBC News -- UK)
Boss quits armorgroup after Iraq problems Nov 28, 2007
Last year War on Want estimated that British private security companies had contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan worth 1bn and there were 48,000 employees of private security firms in Iraq - 21,000 of them British. That total has dropped to 10,000, British companies say. (Guardian Unlimited)
Ghana gold mine 'devastation' Nov 21, 2007
War on Want blames foreign-owned mining companies for pollution. The pressure group War on Want says it wants the British government to force mining companies operating in Africa to honour their social responsibilities ... The War on Want report refers to cyanide spills at Ghana's largest gold mine at Obuasi, operated by AngloGold Ashanti, and says company security officials have helped conduct "swoops" on nearby communities to catch illegal miners, which have caused injuries and created a... (BBC News -- Business)
Fashionable and profitable, the site making millions from style leaders Nov 9, 2007
Big names hoodwinking public, War on Want says Matalan and Mothercare 'among worst offenders. . (Yahoo News -- Fashion and Modeling)
Gap Inc ditches clothing after Indian child labour report Oct 29, 2007
In reaction, anti-poverty campaign group War On Want appealed for British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to introduce independent regulation of the clothing sector - much of which benefits from cheap production in Asia. "This is the latest of a series of scandals that have emerged over almost a year," War On Want spokesman Paul Collins told AFP.. (Melbourne Herald Sun)
Fashion with a conscience Oct 25, 2007
On the eve of London fashion week, together with NGOs such as War on Want, LBL published the report. Containing detailed comparative profiles, the report aims to shame stores into faring better. (Guardian Unlimited -- Society)
* Top fashion brands accused by group of neglecting garmet workers overseas Sep 17, 2007
The study, by the UK-based charity War on Want and the anti- sweatshop coalition Labor Behind the Label, has identified Matalan and Mothercare, two companies featured in a local London newspaper investigation into the pay and conditions of workers in Bangalore, India, as among the "worst offenders." ... " Bringing in a living wage for overseas suppliers is something which would currently be achievable for UK fashion firms, the report claims. Gap, New Look and Next are named as retailers with... (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Business)
Sweatshops paying workers half what they need to live Sep 14, 2007
The charity War on Want and the sweatshop campaign Labour Behind the Label wrote the report, Let's Clean up Fashion, after checking the sourcing policies of 23 national retailers. Only three accepted the need for a significant improvement in pay and had "apparent genuine plans" to do so: Gap, New Look and Next. (Independent)
Fashion Failures: Bosses Told To Sort Out Pay Sep 14, 2007
While fashion bosses receive huge salaries and bonuses, staff working for suppliers abroad are not earning enough to get out of poverty, said the campaign groups War on Want and Labour Behind the Label. Supermodel Kate Moss was paid 3m for her work with Topshop while factory staff in Mauritius can expect to earn 64 for a month's work, according to the Let's Clean Up Fashion report. (Sky News)
Top fashion brands accused over failure to ensure living wage Sep 14, 2007
Big names hoodwinking public, War on Want says Matalan and Mothercare 'among worst offenders ... The study, by the charity War on Want and the anti-sweatshop coalition Labour Behind the Label, has identified Matalan and Mothercare, two companies featured in a Guardian investigation into the pay and conditions of workers in Bangalore, India, as among the "worst offenders" ... Simon McRae, senior campaigns officer for War on Want, said: "This report exposes retailers' empty rhetoric on ethical... (Guardian Unlimited)
Brands under fire over sweatshop pay Sep 3, 2007
John Hilary from War on Want, said: "Exploitation of workers in developing countries such as India is standard practice for British retailers right across the spectrum. This just underlines the urgent need for Gordon Brown to step in now and stop these abuses once and for all.". A spokesman for Primark said that it took the allegations "very seriously". (Guardian Unlimited)
Tesco: named, shamed and an unstoppable success Aug 26, 2007
When charity War on Want investigated firms supplying cut-price clothes for UK supermarkets, it found Bangladeshi workers slaving in dangerous factories for 80 hours a week at just 5p an hour. Tesco was one of the retailers named and shamed. (Guardian Unlimited -- Education)
Scepticism over UK clothes claims Aug 17, 2007
These shops have come under fire recently by charities, such as War on Want, for allowing poor working practices. All of the retailers have strongly denied the allegations. (BBC News -- UK)
Kretzmann: Iraqis & Oil Privatization Aug 10, 2007
The survey was commissioned by a group of development and human rights organisations, including Oil Change International, the Institute for Policy Studies, War on Want and PLATFORM. [4. While critics suspect the USAs real motivation is the contracts for American and international companies, US officials have stated that they see the law as a reconciliation measure, designed to unite Iraqs ethnic and sectarian groups in a common vision of how to develop their oil. (Zmag.org)
Painful extraction Aug 3, 2007
A report I authored for War on Want, released today, notes that in Colombia's Sur de Bolivar region, where AGA is exploring for new deposits, the army is engaged in a campaign of murder of trade union and community leaders ... The War on Want report is at. (Guardian Unlimited)
Mining giant accused of profiting from abuse Aug 3, 2007
The international charity War on Want says in a report released yesterday that Anglo American and its subsidiaries benefited from army operations in areas where the company is prospecting, which have forced families off their land and intimidated community leaders ... War on Want does not blame AngloGold Ashanti directly for the rights abuses in the region. (Guardian Unlimited -- World)
The high price of cheap fashion Jul 17, 2007
In a separate development, campaigning charity War on Want yesterday claimed that in February and March 2006, almost 100 workers were killed and many more injured when factories making clothes for British high street shops collapsed and caught fire while the workers were locked inside ... War on Want claims to have uncovered a catalogue of human misery in factories across Bangladesh. (The Herald)
Retailers accused of sending mixed messages Jul 16, 2007
At the recent annual meeting of the UK's biggest retailer, shareholder Ben Birnberg, a retired solicitor and company secretary at War on Want, said that Tesco should pay its workers a "living wage". The Tesco board said the company was already taking steps to ensure its suppliers treated workers properly, and while it would be easier for Tesco to stop sourcing from countries with problems it could not fix, trade was the right way to lift living standards. (Guardian Unlimited)
Discount retailers accused over clothing factories Jul 16, 2007
John Hilary, the campaigns and policy director of War on Want, said: "Price wars between the three retailers Asda, Tesco and Primark have driven the price of high street clothing down to 50% of what everyone else is charging. You have this relentless pressure on suppliers to keep costs down and, faced with these incredibly powerful retailers, suppliers in Bangladesh and China have no room for manoeuvre. Even the ETI have agreed that the buying practices of the UK retailer sector are driving down... (Guardian Unlimited)
Tesco and Asda check abuse claims Jul 16, 2007
Tesco said it had done all it could "to ensure "high standards and good conditions" in the country. Asda said any abuse was "unacceptable" and it may audit its factories. Difficult conditions In its report, the Guardian claims that garment workers are regularly forced to work 80 hours a week in factories where conditions are often violent, and where staff do not have access to trade unions. Allegations of abuse of workers in South Asia's textile industry are nothing new. We have done all we can... (BBC News)
Tesco shareholders highlight pay disparity Jul 2, 2007
Ben Birnberg, a retired solicitor and company secretary at War on Want raised the resolution for better wages. "There is nothing that lowers a company more in the estimation of right thinking people generally ... than a public display of executive greed in an affluent world going hand in hand with a public display of corporate miserliness and indifference towards those at the bottom in an impoverished world who contribute so munificently to our corporate wealth," the Guardian quoted him as... (India Times)
Tesco sees investor revolt over pay, worker rights Jun 30, 2007
Some 10 percent of shareholders, led by development charity War on Want, tabled a motion to bind Tesco Plc (TSCO.L: , ) to guarantee certain labour rights for workers at supplier factories in some of the world's poorest countries. "Let Tesco as the market leader, steal a march on its competitors and blaze an ethical trail," War on Want's Ben Birnberg, who tabled the resolution, told the meeting. (Reuters.uk)
Tesco rocked by shareholders' revolt Jun 30, 2007
The latter resolution was tabled by Ben Birnberg, a retired solicitor and company secretary at War on Want. The Tesco board called on shareholders to reject it saying that the company is already taking steps to ensure its suppliers treat workers properly. (Guardian Unlimited)
ABI alert on Tesco chief's rewards Jun 27, 2007
The ABI is also thought to have pointed out to shareholders that they might take a view on a shareholder resolution by the charity War on Want to force Tesco to take measures to ensure labour standards in suppliers' factories are upheld. Pirc, the corporate governance lobby, said it was impractical for Tesco to guarantee standards, but called for greater detail on the retailer's progress. (MSN Money)
* Shops lure parents with schoolwear made from recycled bottles Jun 10, 2007
But War on Want said it feared cheap labor was being used to make the garments. This story has been viewed 108 times. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Business)
Group 4 denies racism and exploitation May 31, 2007
Staff employed by Group 4 Securicor have joined the charity War on Want and the Transport and General Workers' Union to compile a dossier alleging poverty wages and racist mistreatment ... War on Want trade unions officer Jackie Simpkins said they hoped public opinion and London's mayor, Ken Livingstone, would put pressure on Group 4. (Guardian Unlimited -- World)
Ethics forced on to Tesco agenda May 14, 2007
Mr Birnberg, who is also the company secretary at War on Want, has won the support of more than 100 shareholders, who speak for six times the number of shares required, to force Tesco to include a resolution demanding higher standards to be put to shareholders ... Mr Lloyd had hoped to avoid the confrontation and had arranged to meet War on Want's campaigns director John Hilary on Friday ... Tesco could yet try to block the issue going before shareholders by demanding that Mr Birnberg, or War on... (Guardian Unlimited)
- Mary Riddell: It's time the high street got ethical Apr 29, 2007
A recent report by War on Want found many workers trying to support their families on 8 a month, far below the 22 needed to survive. How green are Moss's clothes. (Guardian Unlimited)
Tesco profits pass 2.5bn mark Apr 17, 2007
" The anti-poverty charity War on Want also weighed in, saying the chain "is making almost 300,000 profit an hour while workers in Bangladesh earn just 5p an hour producing clothes for its stores". It called on the UK government to regulate companies like Tesco "to ensure decent pay and conditions for their suppliers". Sir Terry has consistently rebuffed criticism that the group has become too powerful, saying the grocery market remains fiercely competitive. In his traditional non-triumphant... (Guardian Unlimited -- UK)
Primark's 8 jeans and 2 bikinis cause stampede Apr 7, 2007
Last year the charity War on Want in a report claimed that Bangladeshi workers making clothes for factories that supply to Asda, Tesco and Primark are paid as little as 3p an hour. When questioned about this Primark's director, Breege O'Donoghue, said: "We have been a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative [ETI] since last May and we are working closely with them." Yet War on Want's report suggested that the ETI's stipulations have had little effect. (Guardian Unlimited)
25% of UK Iraq aid budget goes to security firms Apr 2, 2007
John Hilary, campaigns director of War on Want, which has been pressing for legislation, says there is political resistance at the top. "As the pressure mounts on Blair and Brown to withdraw troops from Iraq, there is a growing possibility that their role will be increasingly taken up by these private military companies," he said. (Guardian Unlimited)
Supermarket sweepRetailers offer endless choice and low prices, but at what cost? Mar 17, 2007
For example, a report by development charity War on Want said it found that sewing machine operators in textile factories in Bangladesh were working more than 80 hours a week for five pence per hour. They were making clothes destined for Asda/Wal-Mart, Tesco and Primark. (BBC News -- Science)
Charity calls for compensation for flower workers Mar 15, 2007
The flower workers, who are mostly single mothers, typically work at least a 15-hour day but earn just over 24 a week - less than half a living wage - according to research from War on Want ... War on Want is calling for workers to be given the right to seek redress and compensation in the UK. In its , the charity says female workers in Colombia were affected by above-average rates of miscarriages and children born with birth defects, along with asthma, skin complaints and headaches because of... (Guardian Unlimited -- World)
TV chef leads fight against supermarkets Feb 28, 2007
Four campaign groups are behind the event, Supersized Supermarkets: Friends of the Earth, War on Want, ActionAid and the anti-Tesco website Tescopoly. They are asking the public to write to their MPs and the Competition Commissioner to make five demands, ranging from a new consumer watchdog to stronger labour rights. (Independent)
Iraq poised to hand control of oil fields to foreign firms Feb 25, 2007
Yet, with the support of our government, multinationals are poised to take control of Iraq's oil wealth,' said Ruth Tanner, senior campaigner at War On Want. The law, which is being discussed by the Iraqi cabinet before being put to the parliament, says the untapped oil would remain state-owned but that contracts would be drawn up giving private sector firms the exclusive right to extract it. (Guardian Unlimited)
