Toy companies bow

TOY COMPANIES BOW TO CONSUMER

Compaigners and consumers have persuaded British toy companies to improve health and safety conditions for toy workers in Asia by adopting a Safety Code. But they are still pressing the toy industry to accept independent monitoring of the Code.

The Safety Code adopted by the British Toy and Hobby Association has been the subject of negotiate with the World Development Movement (WDW), the TUC and the Catholic Institute for International Relations for several months. Since January, as part of a public campaign, the toy industry has received floods of letters from individuals, outraged that more than 250 Asian toy workers have been killed in factory fires since 1993.

However, the campaigners still have some reservations about the Code. They are now asking the British toy industry to:

urge the Toy Manufacturers of Europe (the Europe-wide association) to adopt the Code and
ensure that the Code is independently monitored.

For more information contact:
Harriet Lamb, WDM   0171 274 7630 (d)    0171 274 9727 (e)
Dee Sullivan, TUC    0171 467 1248 (d)   Pager 01426 317 903
Lorraine Sweeney, CIIR   0171 354 0883 (d)    0181 880 2415 (e)

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