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Blears Speaks Out about Sweatshop Controversy

Sunday 29th of April 2007 08:40:28 PM

Hazel Blears, who is running for a Labour Party deputy leadership role, had decided to sell T-Shirts and other items on her web site as a way to help others show support and spread the word. Now there is speculation about whether the shirts were manufactured in sweatshops in Bangladesh. The factory where some of the merchandise may have come from burned down in 2005. Many of the employees suffered injuries or died as a result.

"It has been brought to my attention that one of the T-Shirts available on my deputy leadership campaign website can be sourced up the supply chain to a company linked to a tragic disaster two years ago at the Spectrum Factory in Bangladesh. I am investigating this claim with some urgency. I am angry and upset at any suggestion that a company my campaign is using might be unethical in any way,” Blears said recently.

Investigations are underway to see if the T-Shirts were manufactured in that particular factory or not. Blears has shut-down her online store temporarily until the investigation is complete. Whether this incident will hurt Blear’s chances of winning the election remains unknown. Blears also said she will be making a monetary donation to the families of victims who died in the factory fire.

Blears and her campaign carefully researched t-shirt printing companies before choosing the online company Spreadshirt, who recieved the shirts from supplier B&C/The Cotton Group. Blears was already causing a stir from other merchandise sold on her web site including ‘Hazel Beers’ beer mats.

Blears is running against five other contenders so getting as many supporters as possible is important at this point in her campaign.

(c)Debbie Schiel, www.sxc.hu