Public and Commercial Services Union

As trade, buying and selling, has become a global enterprise, rich and powerful countries and large corporations have benefited at the expense of smaller companies and workers - especially those in poorer countries.

But companies and governments are increasingly coming under pressure - from consumers, investors, non-governmental organisations and trade unions - to start to reverse this trend.

The ethical fair trade movement works toward reducing poverty and exploitation through world trade. Fair and ethical trading means ensuring that:

• workers are paid a living wage
• working conditions are safe and secure
• there is no forced labour
• there is a right to collective bargaining
• producers get a fair price for the goods they produce
• there are opportunities for learning, development and investment
• wherever possible goods are produced locally so as to have minimal impacts on the environment.

PCS supports the growing fair and ethical trade movement and was the first trade union in the UK to affiliate to No Sweat, an activist organisation that campaigns to eradiate sweatshops worldwide.