Top sports brands lobby Guatemalan government

A group of multinationals and NGOs have published a joint open letter to the newly-elected Guatemalan government to support its pursuit of a strong workers’ rights legal framework. The unprecedented communication, which is signed by the likes of Nike, Gap and Adidas, all of which have strong supply links with the country, stated: “We are supportive of your efforts to implement public policy that will further protect workers’ legal rights and preserve their right of freedom of association. While we monitor the factories we contract with to verify the protection of workers’ rights within our supply chains, we look to your government to support and enforce the rule of law so that businesses and workers can operate in a fair and safe environment.” The signatories say they look forward to working with the government to establish “Guatemala’s reputation as a country where socially-responsible companies may do business with confidence”.