MELBOURNE: Sportswear manufacturer Protop Australia has followed the lead of fashion players Cue, Bardot and Ginger & Smart.
The Melbourne-based family business has just been accredited with Ethical Clothing Australia (ECA), a joint business-union initiative which ensures Australian workers receive fair working conditions and wages.
Established in 1985, Protop specialises in high-volume manufacturing and has the capacity to produce 6500 garments a week.
Protop managing director Charles Jones said the company could now be formally recognised for its ethical supply model.
“Protop is the accredited Nike production facility for the Pacific Rim, so we are obviously very familiar with these kinds of processes," he said. "But there is also a certain appeal of supporting an initiative that aims to service and promote the ethical players within the local Australian industry."
ECA national coordinator Emer Diviney said interest from sports, work and corporate wear manufacturers had increased following the introduction of the Federal Government Fairwork Principles program. The initiative requires businesses tendering for Government contracts to be registered with the ECA.
Accredited businesses are licensed to display the ECA trademark on their Australian-made garments.