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BaselWorld organizers pressured to ban sweatshops

April 11, 2007

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Basel, Switzerland—Hong Kong-based Labour Action China and the Swiss organization Solifonds will hold a press conference, "No Sweatshop for Global Jewelry," at BaselWorld on April 12, focusing on the issue of silicosis cases in gemstone-processing factories.

In a media release about the event, the groups said that thousands of workers who polish and cut gemstones in China are dying of the disease, caused by inhalation of silica particles in the workplace.

Since 2004, they said thousands of cases have been reported in gemstone-processing factories located in southern Guangdong Province in China, an area that contributed more than half of the country's $5.5 billion jewelry exports last year. About 15,000 to 20,000 more cases and 6,000 deaths are reported each year. While some victims have received money in private settlements, employers dismiss the majority. In the process of claiming legal compensation, workers face a variety of problems including factory relocation and liquidation, difficulty in getting diagnosed and the loss of their jobs.

The groups have been pressuring BaselWorld organizers to ban companies who have violated labor rights from exhibiting at the trade show.

"Baselworld, as the largest trade show of its kind in the globe, should no longer tolerate the presence of any sweatshop company in the exhibition," the group's stated.

They demanded that show organizers:

1. Set up an implementation mechanism that works to investigate and stop any exhibitor associated with silicosis cases and unsettled compensation claims from taking part in the exhibition.
2. Enforce the international labor-rights standards and the relevant regulations on prevention and compensation of silicosis.
3. Commit efforts in enhancing the industry's awareness of occupational safety and health, and the working conditions of the workers.

For more information on the campaign, visit its Web site, Jewelrycampaign.net.
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