Campaign writes off Plan A 12/07/07
A workers’ rights campaign is criticising a high street retailer for the credibility of its environmental plan.
Sam Maher from Labour Behind the Label campaign says:
“In a sense Marks and Spencer have just said, we want to respect workers rights, we are going to audit our factories and over the next five years we are going to know where all our factories are. It’s too little over a too longer period to really win them that much credit.”
The comment comes after the campaign published their ‘Lets Clean Up Fashion’ report which says how workers producing for UK high street companies are living off poverty wages, and that few companies are taking the issue seriously.
Marks and Spencer has launched Plan A, a £200m eco plan that over the next five years sets 100 targets in sustainability including raising labour standards and helping suppliers invest in their local community.
Sustainability charity Forum for the Future worked with M&S to create the plan and advisor Vicky Murray says:
“When issues like this are highlighted then definitely it’s something that large retailers will have to work through, but there are organisations like the Ethical Trade Initiative that they can affiliate with to improve. I’m sure it’s something that Marks and Spencer are making headway with and perhaps need to tighten up.”
Marks and Spencer were unavailable to respond to these comments.