#rte — Public Fediverse posts

Slavery was abolished in 1807*

Slavery and forced labour is alive and well in Xinjiang. Major retailers complicit. Welcome to ‘cotton laundering’

August 2026

Many people believe that slavery ended sometime in the 19th Century and many – certainly older people reading this – think that Britain led the way. Slavery continued for many years afterwards. The reality is that slavery is alive and well and that you are wearing the products of this vile system while sat reading this. You may feel that you have purchased your cotton garments from a respectable high street retailer so this surely cannot be the case. If you watch the video in the RTE programme [link below], they will explain how retailers such as M&S who feature strongly in the film, are evading controls with vague labelling.

The story of cotton

Around 80% of cotton production in China comes from Xinjiang, using forced labour from the Uyghur which represents 20% of the global cotton production. Following an uproar and call to action in 2020 that called on numerous fashion brands (such as Nike, Adidas, Zara, H&M, Amazon, etc) to sever ties with Uyghur forced labour, many of these brands decided apparently to stop sourcing cotton from Xinjiang. If we were to ask these brands today about their commitment to Uyghur rights, they would answer that Uyghur forced labour has been cut from their supply chain. (Photo is one of the major companies involved in China).

However, the reality is not that simple. Cotton production has not reduced in the region since 2020; instead, Chinese manufacturers have resorted to “cotton laundering”. Once the cotton has been transformed into yarn or fabric, the cotton enters the supply chain through third countries such as Bangladesh or Vietnam. This results in cotton that is extremely difficult to trace.

Cotton laundering

Some brands may claim that having the label ‘Better Cotton’ to claim that their supply chains are ethical. However as investigated by RTÉ, it appears that “the Better Cotton can be mixed or blended with what they call conventional cotton very early on in the supply chain, and that includes cotton from the Uyghur region“. The RTE film (5 mins) can be viewed here.

Although companies have acted on demands to stop using suppliers that rely on Uyghur forced labour, it can be easy to imagine that cotton harvested in Xinjiang finds its way to those factories through cotton laundering. That is why we are asking you today to write a question to a company that produces apparel which contains cotton to ask them what processes and safeguards are in place to ensure forced labour is not present in their supply chains.

Research published by Sheffield Hallam University shows in detail how the system works and contains much evidence. They say that previous research has provided significant evidence indicating that these programmes are indeed tantamount to forced labour, human trafficking, and modern slavery and that this system of repression is particularly deployed in the cotton and textile industries, which for China are centred in the Uyghur Region. Reports have shown that much of the region’s cotton is hand-picked by people who are forced to do so, that textile factories in the Uyghur Region employ forced labour, and that minority citizens of the region have been “transferred” thousands of miles into the interior of China to work in factories for major textile and apparel exporters.

The notion of slavery today is universally condemned. Britain was heavily involved in the trade for nearly two centuries transporting well over 3 million in the triangular trade. Many are often surprised to discover that the slave owners (not the slaves) were compensated and the debt was only paid off in 2015.

As we have noted before, although Xinjiang seems a long way off and few will have been there, the products of this obnoxious and cruel system are sitting on the clothing racks of our major high street retailers and hence in your wardrobes. Truly we are all involved.

[*Quite when slavery ended is difficult to be precise. Many ships simply reflagged to avoid patrols. Slavery persisted for decades in the Caribbean and America. Slaves were still transferred between countries. A separate act was later passed to end the practice in India. Freed slaves simply became indentured.]

Letter

This is a sample letter to a retailer or manufacturer to model yours on. It is likely you will receive a standard reply but it will register with the retailer that they are being watched and if not careful, they could receive reputational damage:

Dear xx,
I am writing to express my concern as to the possibility that your cotton products contain cotton produced in Xinjiang using Uyghur forced labour.
One tactic used by Chinese manufacturers to sell cotton produced by forced labour and internal displacement of Uyghur population is “cotton laundering”. These companies will transform cotton into yarn or fabric and then introduce them to global chains through third countries such as Bangladesh or Vietnam. As a result, the origin of the cotton is extremely difficult to trace.
In addition, the label “Better Cotton” does not prevent products from containing cotton produced through forced labour. The Better Cotton Initiative does not have a traceability protocol and enable mixed or blended cotton with ethically sourced material. Cotton from the Uyghur region may very well be present in those mixes or blends.
As a concerned consumer, I would like to ask you: what protocols and safeguards do you have in place to absolutely ensure that none of the cotton present in your garments is a result of Uyghur forced labour? How do you verify that the cotton used in your garment does not come from Xinjiang?
Thank you in advance for your reply.
Yours sincerely,

We have drawn from material produced by RTE (Ireland), Sheffield Hallam University, Statista and from the Uyghur Solidarity Team with thanks.

• Slavery was abolished in 1807*
• Uyghur campaign progress
• Another vigil and is the mood changing in the US?
• Are American attitudes towards Israel changing?
• Latest Death Penalty Report

💚

Documentary aired last night on RTE1

https://www.rte.ie/player/movie/in-time-d%C3%B3nal-lunny/798328872355

#IrishCulture #IrishMusic #Ireland #RTE #DónalLunny #Ireland #Planxty

Why does #RTÉ publish the coloured damage report from #Russian sources and a basic description of damage in #Ukraine?

At least 14 dead as Ukraine, Russia exchange strikes
https://www.rte.ie/news/2026/0802/1586210-ukraine-russia-strikes/

RTÉ Radio 1 had a whole segment on the hosepipe ban this morning. The one caused by a profound shortage of water, remember. It was all "So you're watering your flowerbeds with a can?", "Ah sure y'know yourself!", and no "Data centres use 70,000 litres of water/day, minimum!" and in fact not one mention of data centres at all. #RTÉ #WhyIDontHaveATVLicence

Sur les #incendies y'a des moyens aériens de la Sécurité Civile, parfois d'autres pays, des hélicoptères de location et aussi un truc très cool : un Super Puma de #RTE, le gestionnaire du réseau électrique en France. Plus gros #hélicoptère civil du pays.

Photos Samuel Boivin

This gets on my nerves. There's absolutely zero point in using XLR microphones on stands and calling it a podcast when you are in a studio using #broadcast quality sound and vision. It's not a #podcast, it's a fucking television programme. #RTE

'One of the highlights of presenting it is hearing from listeners who tell me they never imagined this music could be for them...' Vlad Smishkewych celebrates 10 years of Vox Nostra, RTÉ lyric fm's much-loved early music programme.

Music written five hundred, or even a thousand years ago doesn't compete for our attention. It simply invites us to stop for a while and listen.

https://www.rte.ie/culture/2026/0716/1583124-celebrating-vox-nostra-a-musical-camino-for-a-modern-age/

#rte #radio #rtelyricfm #earlymusic #camino

Oh - it's kind of the end of an era, as Áine Lawlor retires from RTÉ today:

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2026/0712/1582911-aine-lawlor/

#RTÉ #TWIP #MastoDaoine #ÁineLawlor

#RTE report on the release from prison of #EnochBurke, the religious extremist, #transhopbe ex-teacher who has been imprisoned for over 700 days for repeated #trespassing at #WilsonsHospital school.

The #HighCourt #IEHC order barring Enoch Burke from the school remains in place. Burke has not purged his #ContemptOfCourt.

https://www.rte.ie/news/courts/2026/0701/1581265-enoch-burke/

#trans #ielegal

In the first of two articles #RTÉ’s Europe Editor Tony Connelly explains the rotating role of the #EU presidency, how #Ireland has prepared for it and what challenges the State will face.

https://www.rte.ie/news/analysis-and-comment/2026/0627/1580546-irelands-eu-presidency/

Ah, Teresa Mannion has retired from RTÉ? Naturally, this calls for a reprise (and remix) of her finest hour:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzx3MeYonT8

#TeresaMannion #RTÉ #RTÉNews #StormDesmond #Aimsir #MastoDaoine #Telly

What is up with @news.rte.ie and their framing of (temporary? small?) falling oil prices as "losses" - losses for whom, exactly?! It's a price reduction, and still a huge profit for oil companies! #RTE #bias

Our national bloody broadcaster, the supposed gold standard news for the country of Ireland, doesn’t know the difference between an asteroid and a comet. #rte #idiots #comet #asteroid #sciencejournalism
https://www.rte.ie/news/2026/0624/1580135-asteroid-visible-stargazers/

Hitze: 68.000 Haushalte in Frankreich ohne Strom

Die #Hitzewelle in #Frankreich hat in der #Bretagne zu großen Stromausfällen geführt. Wie die Behörden mitteilten, waren dort heute in der Früh rund 68.000 Haushalte von Stromausfällen betroffen.

Grund für die Ausfälle war ein überhitzter Transformator in der Nähe der Stadt #Quimper. Der gestern eingetretene Störfall sei auf die „derzeit herrschende große #Hitze“ zurückzuführen, erklärte die Präfektur.

Unmittelbar nach der Störung waren sogar 106.000 Haushalte kurzzeitig ohne Strom. Obwohl die französischen Netzbetreiber #RTE und #ENEDIS schon in der Nacht an der Behebung des Problems arbeiteten, kann die #Stromversorgung nach Angaben von RTE voraussichtlich erst heute Abend vollständig wiederhergestellt werden. Pflegeheime werden mit Notstromaggregaten versorgt.

https://orf.at/stories/3434238/

#Extremwetter
#Klimakrise

#Focus:
"
Flüsse zu heiß
Hitzewelle wird jetzt zum Problem für Frankreichs AKW
"
".. französische Bahnunternehmen SNCF strich für die kommenden Tage bereits dutzende Fernzüge. Ziel sei es, „möglichen Pannen der Klimaanlagen bei sehr hohen Temperaturen“ vorzubeugen, .."

https://www.focus.de/earth/hitzewelle-wird-jetzt-zum-problem-fuer-frankreichs-akw_e7adf4bb-c3eb-479f-93b4-6ffd17535ca8.html

19.6.2026

#AKW #Atomkraft #Atomkraftwerk #Corail #EDF #Eisenbahn #Frankreich #Hitzewelle #heatwave #Kernenergie #Klimaanlage #Klimakrise #Klimawandel #RTE #SNCF

Sometimes RTÉ News needs to wind their neck in.

"Almost three-quarters of Irish adults are in favour of a social media ban for under-16s, according to new research"
https://www.rte.ie/news/2026/0618/1579003-social-media-ban/

>The survey of 1,000 people was conducted by Censuswide for Pure Telecom.

Excuse me? 1,000?! Only 1,000 were surveyed?!
And that warrants the headline "Almost three-quarters of Irish adults"?

Jaysus...

#socialmediaban #rte #rtenews #socialmedia #technology

Le samedi 6 juin dernier a eu lieu dans le village de #Tournissan une manifestation soutenue par une vingtaine d'associations (dont DDCM) et de collectifs rassemblant les opposant⋅es aux projets industriels énergétiques prévus dans les #Corbières frappées par le terrible feu du mois d'août 2025.
Tous ces projets (principalement photovoltaïques) reposent sur l'implantation par #RTE d'un poste source sur Tournissan contre l'avis majoritaire de sa population.
Voir le reportage de @Reporterre :
https://reporterre.net/Des-bombes-potentielles-a-moins-de-1-km-du-village-les-megaprojets-photovoltaiques
N'hésitez pas à relayer l'information autour de vous !

#lutte #environnement #photovoltaïque #ENR #Occitanie

I can scarcely bear to watch RTÉ News any more because of the self-important way the presenter, and increasingly even the reporters, say “ai” for “a” - “Ai new project proposed by thee Government will bring ai radical change…”. It’s so Mrs Bucket
#RTÉ #pronunciation #ladylike

Ronnie Whelan commentates like an old man in a pub, everything is just useless these days, young folk don't have a clue
#ChampionsLeague #rte

RE: https://mastodon.ar.al/@aral/116662853063518326

Long live #RTE and the #Irish! If this would indeed lead to the match being cancelled or played behind closed doors, it would be a slap in #KeirStarmer's face (and the #BBC) after what he did to the West Midlands (banning Maccabi fans).