Burberry Prorsum
In September 2006 Burberry announced
the closure in March 2007 of their factory in Treorchy, South Wales, moving 310
jobs to Hong Kong, China and mainland China. The firm states that the Treorchy
plant is "not commercially viable" despite announcing a 22% increase in profits
in January 2007. The extremely unpopular decision has resulted in protests by
workers outside the Burberry flagship stores in London, under the banner "Keep
Burberry British". The campaign, supported by local Welsh Assembly Member
Leighton Andrews and Jill Evans MEP has attracted international press coverage
and is supported by celebrities from the world of cinema, music and sport
including: Prince Charles, Tom Jones, Sir Alex Ferguson, Gruffudd (the
international face of Burberry), Emma Thompson, Rhys Ifans, Bryn Terfel, The
Automatic, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Irvine Welsh, Michael Sheen and Steve Jones
(presenter). The PR disaster reached a new stage when local MP Chris Bryant made
a motion on the 23rd January 2007 in Parliament to remove Burberry's Royal
Warrant if it persists in its intention to move these jobs offshore.
The campaign has gone global with co-ordinated protests against the closure,
were held in London, Paris, New York, Chicago, Strasbourg and Las Vegas.