Keep Burberry British

More coverage

We are now aware of coverage in Germany, Austria, Canada, Taiwan, Romania, Moldova, the Netherlands in addition to other countries we have already mentioned.

Thanks for all the offers of help with the Japanese translation, by the way. More on this soon.

Global Coverage

Yesterday's demonstrations have been covered around the world. The Financial Times article today has been syndicated in a number of places including MSNBC. There is coverage in Ireland, India, New Zealand, Greece, the USA amongst items we have spotted. Financial and trade press stories have included Retail Week, just-style.com, Forbes,  Business Week,Brand Republic, Polo Shirts News and many others. Agencies such as PA, AP, UPI and AFX have taken the story all over the globe.

The BBC story has some international coverage too.

Strasbourg says "stop Burberry breaking our hearts"

THE fight to keep Burberry jobs in Wales reached Europe today as Euro-MPs, led by Wales MEPs Glenys Kinnock and Eluned Morgan, sent a Valentine’s message to company bosses to ‘Stop Breaking Our Hearts’.

Speaking from Strasbourg, Labour MEP Glenys Kinnock said: “By moving production to China Burberry is breaking the hearts of its loyal and hardworking Welsh workforce and devastating an already deprived community.

“The company has also failed to give guarantees that the factories in China, to where production is likely to be moved, will not employ child labour or use forced labour.

“At a time when consumers increasingly make choices according to company ethics, Burberry’s actions are not only morally reprehensible but commercially unsound.”

Eluned Morgan added: “Burberry's decision to move production to China is sheer corporate greed. The company’s sales are booming and profits are healthy. There is absolutely no reason for the company to pull out of the Rhondda Valley.

“I and my European colleagues today urge Burberry to rediscover its sense of Corporate Social Responsibility and keep its Treorchy factory open.”

MEPs from the European Parliamentary Labour Party today joined together in a show of solidarity with Burberry workers and urged the company’s chief executive, Angela Ahrendts, to reconsider her decision to close the Treorchy plant.

It comes as five international Valentine’s Day demonstrations are held outside Burberry stores in London, Paris, New York, Chicago and Las Vegas.

Earlier this week it was announced that some of Wales' top rock acts will perform at a concert on March 24 to raise funds for a trust to support affected Burberry workers.

Stop Burberry Breaking our Hearts

News coverage of the international demonstrations against Burberry today started in Ireland at the weekend, then Australia. Interviews for French media were done yesterday. The Guardian, Mirror and Western Mail today both mention Ben Elton joining the campaign. The Financial Times carries a story about the protests as does the Daily Post. It is also running on the BBC, Sky and on RTE in Ireland.

Protests take place at the following UK time equivalents:

London 10.30am

Paris 11.30am

Cardiff 12.30pm

Chicago 5.30pm

New York 6pm

Las Vegas 10.30pm

Protest details including venues and local times are on the GMB site.

Anyone speak Japanese and support us?

We are looking for a Japanese translator for this website. We have had a lot of media coverage in Japan already, but as it is one of Burberry’s biggest markets, we want our message to be more widely understood in the country.

We had someone lined up to translate key elements of the website into Japanese, but he has fallen ill. So we are looking for unpaid assistance from anyone who can help us with a translation.

Stop Burberry Breaking our Hearts

Details of the GMB-organised protests in London, Paris, New York, Chicago, Las Vegas and Strasbourg are set out in the union's press release here.

You can download the leaflet here. A French version is also available.

Members of the National Assembly for Wales will also be signing a Valentine's Card at the National Assembly building in Cardiff.

Pop Factory concert

The Pop Factory has for some weeks been planning a concert on 24th March in support of the Burberry workers. They have now confirmed the line-up will include The Automatic, The Alarm and Gruff Rhys of the Super Furry Animals.

Here's the BBC report. This is the Western Mail and this is the Echo.

It's now hit the NME, ITV and Channel Four.

Michael Sheen

Thanks to BAFTA nominee Michael Sheen - born in Newport - for his support for the campaign. He told us:

I completely support the workers at the plant in Treorchy. At a point where Burberry are making good profits, closing the factory is just wrong.  It’s not just Wales that’s losing out but exploited workers around the world. I call on Burberry to change its mind.

There was coverage on ITV Wales, BBC Wales and BBC News Online, and in the Wales on Sunday and Western Mail. And The Sun.

Burberry still British if made in China claim!

A columnist for Bloomberg TV claims Burberry is still British even if it makes its products in China.

But even he accepts that this campaign has had an impact:

Burberry has been put on the back foot.

The story links to this site, so let's return the compliment. If you want to tell Mr Lynn why he is wrong, here's his email address:  matthewlynn@bloomberg.net .

Australian Radio

The campaign gets coverage on Australian radio in advance of Wednesday's demonstrations.