Promoting fair trade and unexploited labour for Euro 2012

The new InJustice Minister in Poland believes that prisoners are the answer for the labour shortage and high potential costs of building stadiums for the Euro 2012 championships.

It's not the first time that the issue of cheap labour has popped up in the debate of how Poland should go about preparing for the football competition. Importing Chinese workers has also been weighed into the equation - maybe a mixture of both will ultimately transpire.

I've nothing against Chinese immigrants or prisoners being given construction work to satisfy the growing football craze in Poland. Although I won't be going to the championships, once the hooligans keep quiet, the professional soccer players get a 10,000% pay cut and no scumbag corporate sponsor is allowed to promote their product during the competition, then I don't really give a fuck who wins the trophy.

What I despise is the fact the Minister for Slave Labour from Civic Platform seems to think it is defensible to exploit workers in the process. Whether they have committed crimes against members of society or have yellow skin shouldn't prevent them from earning a fair wage for a days work. Restoring justice is not achievable by getting them to break concrete and lay bricks for 16 hours a day.

Indeed, some of the key problems for prisoners on leaving prison is access to employment, income, sense of self-worth, reconnecting with family, normal daily routine of work, rest and play - so rather than exploiting their labour we should see it as a solution to help them rehabilitate and aid their transition back into a society which they can rarely cope with on leaving their cells.

There should not be any cutbacks on health and safety measures just because they have shackles on their legs or happen to have 'made in china' tags on their toes; nor should there be a lack of over hour rates, standard break times, tax credits, annual leave days, pension contributions, etc. just because they are labelled scum or disposable immigrants by the authorities.

Oh yeah, and lets try ensure that the footballs used are fair trade footballs, not ones made by child labour as happened in the world cup 5 years ago and also in Germany last year.

Rahila from Pakistan can ensure her children get a good education by producing 'fair trade footballs.' Workers get a premium from GEPA, Europe's biggest fair trade company, and are members of the Talon Fair Trade Workers Welfare Society - they channel profits into local healthcare and education facilities.