Procure IT Fair
Procure IT Fair is a coalition of NGOs from various European countries that intend to raise awareness on the working conditions and environmental pollution in the production of computers and asks politicians and public purchasers to use their (buying) powers to demand compliance with international labour rights and ecological standards in the global supply chain of computers.
News
Sustainable procurement of computers – an effective tool for improving labour conditions in the electronics industry
17-03-2011
Over the past three years, the Procure IT Fair project has been advocating the sustainable public purchasing of computers in Europe. This final statement marks the successful completion of the project, summarizes the project’s achievements and looks at what lies ahead.
New EC "Buying Social" guide: a giant step for the EC, a small step for sustainable procurement
28-01-2011
The European Commission has launched today the long-awaited “Buying social: a guide to take account of social considerations in public procurement”. A network of trade unions, social and sustainable development organisations considers this guide fails to reflect the true potential of public procurement as an instrument in support of social and sustainable development objectives. Much more is needed if the EU and Member States are to live up to the EU Treaty commitments and international obligations in this field.
Foxconn nominated for the 2011 Public Eye Award for the worst company. Vote!
10-01-2011
Foxconn is nominated for the 2011 Public Eye Award for the worst company. You can all cast your vote to express your concerns over Foxconn's controversial business practices. The Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn produces high-end equipment for brands like Apple and Dell. Because of the military-style control enforced at the company’s Chinese production facilities at least 18 employees attempted suicide on company premises in the past year. Foxconn pays miserable wages and demands an extraordinary readiness for overtime work. At the same time, workers are rigorously controlled during and after work. They are bodysearched on the way to the toilet. Union rights are limited to membership in the company-controlled pseudo union.
makeITfair’s priorities for public procurers
04-01-2011
The European campaign makeITfair has established a set of priorities for its three-year programme to make the electronics industry fairer for workers everywhere. By focusing on these priorities makeITfair is driving a powerful agenda for change that will help to improve human rights, workers’ rights and sound environmental practices in the product life cycle of consumer electronics around the globe. One of its priorities is specifically for public procurers.
Best practices in sustainable public procurement of IT hardware in Europe
24-12-2010
In the context of the Procure IT Fair project, SOMO collected information on public institutions and other organisations in Europe that actively engage in the sustainable public procurement of IT hardware. Examples of procurement of IT hardware are presented that take into account social considerations, such as adherence to the ILO Core Conventions for the benefit of public purchasers, policy makers and other interested parties. These examples illustrate what is possible within the framework of the European Procurement Directives.
makeITfair Campaign prompts discussion on socially responsible IT procurement in Finland
23-12-2010
The Finnish makeITfair campaign 2010 initiated discussion on the social responsibility of public IT procurement. The campaign focused on Finnish universities and colleges and encouraged them to ask their IT suppliers how they comply with the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) key conventions in the production process. The campaign organisations want public IT procurers, such as universities, to take social aspects into account alongside the environmental ones in their tendering processes. Behind the IT industry’s clean and modern image there is a record number of violations of labour rights in large manufacturing countries, such as China and the Philippines, where inadequate wages, overlong work days and violations of trade union rights are common.
