November 2009 – The rug industry came under the spotlight in the recent BBC Three programme Kids for Sale when Stacey Dooley visited Nepal to reveal the widespread issue of child slave labour: children are forced to work for a pittance, making beautiful, hand-knotted rugs for markets such as the UK, for up to 14 hours per day. The programme also visited a RugMark Rehabilitation Centre, where rescued children were shown happy, cared for and enjoying full-time education.

Samantha Towle, Director of RugMark UK, the not-for-profit organisation, which helps fund the work in Nepal, welcomes the exposé: "This is a deplorable problem but there is a simple solution – UK retailers and designers must demand that the rugs they buy have our GoodWeave label on the back, and then they can sell with a clear conscience." She is concerned that many retailers and designers deny the problem exists or think that making charitable donations to Nepalese schools is enough: "The GoodWeave label is the only initiative, which guarantees that independent inspectors randomly check the manufacturers to ensure they do not employ child labour; the GoodWeave label gives the reassurance consumers need and provides a real marketing opportunity."

For manufacturers wishing to sign up to the GoodWeave label, it is simply a case of getting in touch with RugMark in Nepal and agreeing to inspections; a 0.25% (of export value) levy is charged to fund the inspectors, labels and the schools, rehabilitation centres and other community programmes run by the organisation. Importers pay a levy of 1% to RugMark UK. For retailers and designers there is no charge but, for a small contribution, they can take part in the increasingly active GoodWeave PR and Marketing campaign, which targets consumers and informs them of the issues and where to buy GoodWeave labelled rugs.

RugMark Nepal was established in 1996; at the end of 2008, the time of the last annual report, it had removed 1,978 children from child labour in its rug industry and 886 had passed through its rehabilitation centre. In 2008 there were 300 children in sponsored education and 71 were being rehabilitated in the community, whilst 50 children were boarders at high school. Since 2000 around 6,000 workers had attended RugMark awareness programmes, and since 2005 the organisation's mobile health units had treated 1644 workers.

Nepal is a desperately poor nation and exporting its finely made rugs to the UK provides a vital livelihood for many adults. Stacy Dooley provided ample evidence as to why we should be more discriminating in the sourcing and purchasing of such rugs for our market.

For further information and for retailers, designers and wholesalers selling GoodWeave labelled rugs contact RugMark on T: 07740 459279 or visit www.rugmark.org.uk or www.goodweave.org.uk.

ENDS.

Press enquiries contact: Fay Handley at Dixon Handley Marketing
Tel: 01926 885511  M: 07790 659983  Email: fay@dixonhandleymarketing.co.uk