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GUARDIAN STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR
Student icon Dr Karl chats with Andrew Mickel about his current tour as well as answering your questions Page 13
ISSUE 803 December 12 2005
CARDIFF’S STUDENT WEEKLY free word - EST. 1972
Sport catch up with Grand Slam-winning Welsh rugby star Mike Phillips in the run up to February’s Six Nations Page 37
PRI-MARK OF DISHONOUR By Caroline Farwell News Editor
Is the opening of a new high street superstore in keeping with Cardiff’s Fairtrade status?
PHOTO: Adam Gasson
POPULAR DISCOUNT chain Primark has been rated the least ethical place to buy clothes in Britain - just weeks before the clothing company is set to open its new Cardiff superstore. Judged on criteria such as workers’ rights and relations with oppressive regimes, Primark scored just 2.5 out of 20 on the ethical index that rated leading clothing chains. Marks & Spencer and mk one, who also have stores in Cardiff’s city centre, were ranked second and third worst for ethics in the survey published by Ethical Consumer magazine. The findings come as the student-favourite store is set to open a brand new branch in Cardiff city centre on February 2 next year. The opening of the new store has prompted questions about the city’s official commitments to fair trade. As the world’s first Fairtrade Capital, Cardiff is part of a project that seeks to increase access to and use of fair trade products in the city. Yet the recent findings about Primark, who will have one of the biggest stores on Cardiff’s high street by early next year, haven’t helped the city’s
Fairtrade status. Researchers from Ethical Consumer said that standards were so low among the 27 high street clothing chains surveyed that none of them could be recommended to shoppers with a conscience. “If people shop in Primark because the prices are low then they must be aware that they are low for a reason,” said Ruth Rosselson, a spokeswoman for Ethical Consumer. “And they must start asking questions: ‘Where is this made? How do I know that this was made under good conditions?’ Then the companies will realise that people care.” In its January/February edition, Ethical Consumer criticise the company for not having a code of conduct, selling leather goods and ‘environmentallydamaging’ products and for operating in an oppressive regime (China). Primark has defended its record and said there were a number of inaccuracies in the assessment. A spokesman said that Primark did have a code of conduct for suppliers which is independently audited abroad. He said: “We buy our clothing from pretty much the same range of suppliers and countries as everyone else on the high street. We do buy a lot of clothing from China and that’s something we do and everybody else does as well.”