Come on Wales, let’s make football fair!
AS football takes centre stage once more in Wales, it’s a good time to shed light on the centre of the game: the ball.
Production of footballs too often violates workers’ rights, particularly in Pakistan where more than two thirds of the world’s footballs are made.
The industry has taken action to clamp down on child labour in football production in Pakistan but forced labour and poor working conditions remain all too common. In a sport where top players earn tens of millions of pounds annually, the people who make the balls often earn less than 50p per ball, and struggle to feed their families, let alone afford education and healthcare.
There is an alternative. Fairtrade ensures no child labour, fair wages and decent working conditions. Fairtrade factories earn an extra premium, which is invested into social and environmental projects that benefit workers and their wider community. Fairtrade footballs, made to the same standards that Fifa use, are affordable and easily available.
We hope that Welsh fans, players and clubs will get behind the brilliant, Pembrokeshire-based, Fair Trade in Football Campaign. More Fairtrade balls used across the game, from large multi-million-pound leagues to junior Saturday morning matches, would have a huge impact on the lives of millions working within the industry.
Wales is proud of its status as the world’s first Fair Trade Nation. As we are increasingly known to the world as the home of football legends and legendary events, may we remain Together Stronger and be remembered for the right reasons.
Let’s make football fair.