http://procureitfair.org daily 1 2009-01-08T09:44:00Z http://procureitfair.org/news-en/sustainable-procurement-of-computers-2013-an-effective-tool-for-improving-labour-conditions-in-the-electronics-industry 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. No publisher Edith 2011-03-17T15:53:02Z News Item http://procureitfair.org/news-en/new-ec-buying-social-guide-a-giant-step-for-the-ec-a-small-step-for-sustainable-procurement 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. No publisher virginia 2011-01-28T16:25:23Z News Item http://procureitfair.org/news-en/foxconn-nominated-for-the-2011-public-eye-award-for-the-worst-company-cast-your-vote 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. No publisher pauline 2011-01-10T17:02:12Z News Item http://procureitfair.org/news-en/makeitfair2019s-priorities-for-public-procurers 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. No publisher virginia 2011-01-04T16:31:58Z News Item http://procureitfair.org/news-en/best-practices-in-sustainable-public-procurement-of-it-hardware-in-europe 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. No publisher pauline 2011-04-14T10:24:03Z News Item http://procureitfair.org/news-en/campaign-prompts-discussion-on-socially-responsible-it-procurement-in-finland 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. No publisher virginia 2010-12-23T12:36:19Z News Item http://procureitfair.org/news-en/2018shake-up-call2019-van-studenten-voor-eerlijke-computers Students in Europe are highly critical of the purchasing policies of universities and universities of applied sciences. They are demanding that ICT is purchased sustainably and fairly by the institutions at which they are studying, and are campaigning against the poor working conditions in the electronics industry in low-wage countries. On 10 December, students from all parts of the Netherlands came together at the University of Utrecht, together with inspiratrice Gerry and StoereVrouwen, to give a 'Shake-up call' to higher education in the Netherlands. No publisher pauline 2010-12-23T13:09:25Z News Item http://procureitfair.org/news-en/procure-it-fair-features-in-book-about-it-and-sustainable-development Procure IT Fair is featured in the book "Systèmes d’information et développement durable" by Philippe Tassin and others. The book deals with the environment, social and economical issues around sustainable development and information technology. Procure IT Fair is mentioned specifically in the chapter about the social impacts of IT. No publisher virginia 2011-01-05T11:55:28Z News Item http://procureitfair.org/news-en/blue-elephants-migrant-workers-in-the-malaysian-electronics-industry Procure IT Fair has launched the new documentary: Blue Elephants - migrant workers in the Malaysian electronics industry. "Blue Elephants" documents the dire labour conditions ofof an Indonesian and an Nepali migrant worker who are working for Malaysian contract manufacturers that supply big IT brand companies. No publisher pauline 2010-11-11T13:22:12Z News Item http://procureitfair.org/news-en/story-of-electronics-released The Story of Electronics was released on November 9th at storyofelectronics.org. This latest story takes on the electronics industry’s “design for the dump” mentality and champions product take back to spur companies to make less toxic, more easily recyclable and longer lasting products. No publisher virginia 2010-12-23T12:34:07Z News Item http://procureitfair.org/news-en/speakers-tour-procure-it-fair-10-22-october-2010 Sustainable procurement of IT hardware is one of the tools to improve working conditions, human rights and envrionmental protection in the global electronics supply chain. The European campaign Procure IT Fair has therefore invited, Pathma Krishnan from the Malaysian NGO Monitoring Sustainability of Globalization to travel throughout Germany, Spain and the Netherlands from 10 to 22 October 2010 and share her practical experience. No publisher virginia 2010-10-11T14:08:22Z News Item http://procureitfair.org/news-en/buyers-guide-now-also-in-spanish-and-finnish The buyers guide produced by Procure IT Fair is now also published in Spanish and Finnish. No publisher virginia 2010-08-03T15:41:08Z News Item http://procureitfair.org/news-en/procure-it-fair-letter-to-dg-internal-market-and-services In this lobby letter to mr M. Barnier, EU Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, Procure IT Fair highlights the points that the organisations that participate in this campaign would like to contribute to the guide "Buying social" that the European Commission is currently developing on guide institutions how to introduce socially-responsible public procurement. No publisher virginia 2010-07-09T12:45:01Z News Item http://procureitfair.org/news-en/social-responsibility-in-the-procurement-of-computers-online-petition-by-procure-it-fair Today, Procure IT Fair launches an online petition urging European universities and polytechnics to include social criteria into their procurement processes and to endorse a resolution ensuring social responsibility in the procurement of computers at their institutions. No publisher pauline 2010-06-30T08:56:23Z News Item http://procureitfair.org/news-en/procure-it-fair-endorses-statement-goodelectronics-and-makeitfair-regarding-foxconn-suicide-wave Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn has seen a wave of suicides among employees of its Longhua plants over the past months. Procure IT Fair endorses the GoodElectronics and makeITfair statement severely criticising this situation and calling upon Foxconn and its buyers to investigate and address the root causes of the suicides. No publisher virginia 2010-06-14T19:39:17Z News Item