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CAFOD's Policy Analyst Anne Lindsay said, 'Six months after launching the Clean Up Your Computer campaign, more still needs to be done to improve the conditions of workers on the ground. All the codes of all three companies still fail to match United Nations standards.'

The Clean Up Your Computer report was first issued in February of this year and took a hard look at working conditions within the factories that supply components to Dell, HP and IBM. At the time, all three welcomed CAFOD's recommendations and Dell and IBM promised to follow HP's lead by implementing a Code of Conduct that would assure the rights of workers at its

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suppliers.

However, CAFOD is still concerned that these codes are not being properly implemented.

As a priority, all three companies should include in their codes a provision for 'freedom of association', says CAFOD. The codes of conduct themselves should also involve trade unions and relevant non-governmental organisations for their implementation.

'Brand leaders need to tighten up their supplier codes to achieve lasting improvements at factory level. Dell and IBM have no ban on compulsory overtime in their codes. Hewlett Packard's code has no prohibition on working more than 60 hours a week. Nobody should be forced to do overtime or work excessive hours without time off,' said Lindsay.

CAFOD still comes into regular contact with the likes of Li Mei, who works for a company that supplies mouse casings to IBM. She works a 12 hour day (four hours overtime) with few days off - indeed only one day in February.

The report also highlights the one factory where, barely an hour after it was evacuated because of a fire, staff were sent right back in again to man the production lines.

More information is available at the CAFOD website.