The "John Lewis Partnership" is another big business that oppresses it's workers (me) to make a profit. It claims to operate on the basis of being a worker's co-operative but in simple terms you get a proportion of the profits depending on how high your wages are, this means managers make a profit from explotining workers. Also if you don't believe in any of this "no bosses" stuff, they run pheasant shooting things.

In the end, all those who oppose the system of capitalism and it's many means of oppression have to live with it whilst it exists, providing we are fighting and participating in the struggle to destroy and replace it. But the illusion that boycotts and the preference of one capitalist over another is a very dangerous and thoroughly reformist one which sews the viewpoint that capitalism can be somehow improved and that the global corporations will somehow be forced by internal measures –bourgeois institutions of their own making– to serve humanity.

Perhaps you feel this is of no help to you in deciding whether John Lewis producing your school uniform is ethical or not –and I can assure you that there is not one capitalist corporation of that scale which won't use sweatshop labour or exploit it's workers, whatever some social democrat/liberal decides to tell you about their policy of giving their workers shares–, but the question of capitalism that I address here is of course far from irrelevant. Unless you make your own clothes from all the materials you procure and own collectively with those who produce those other materials then exploitation and oppression will always be part of your purchase. It is the necessary reality of capitalism and there is no avoiding this.

Buy your clothes from wherever you like, but only feel no weight on your choice if you play no part in the overthrow of the very system which oppresses and exploits, enslaves and murders billions of workers and minorities across the globe.

Sorry, it included my first version not the second. It should say various things, but in particular take out the second 'no' in that last paragraph. We want capitalism consigned to the dustbin of history.

Well, anti-capitalist purism aside, John Lewis was founded with ethical principles, designed to 'look after' the workers 'better' than other businesses, giving back to them and the community in various ways that other big businesses don't. Some stuff'll be on their website, though I don't know where historical stuff in more detail than I know is.
In fact, a few years back, the workers of John Lewis Partnership tried to sell out their 'benefits' for quick cash, like all the building societies etc that have demutualised over recent years. They voted in favour, but then someone found that they could never do this, 'cos of how the founder had set it up.

Regardless of whether some businesses grant more concessions to their workers than others, the basic scientific and absolutely non-'purist' fact remains that capitalism is based upon wage slavery and the exploitation and oppression of workers and minorities. Anyhow, I very much doubt that the John Lewis Partnership is as rosy as so many make out, and the suggestion that looking on their web site for historical background would fill in any knowledge gaps appears to be proof that you're suffering from the illusion that capitalism can somehow be justified.

Having temped in John Lewis's warehouse in North London a few years ago I can confirm that conditions there are pretty much like the rest -for temps anyway. I even recieved a warning for recieving a call on my mobile - whilst still managing to work at the same time!
The people who work there do seem to be a bit more empowered than at many other places, but the decision making is still geared towards a hierarchical structure on a day to day basis
- apparently there are partners forums where some decision making is done & grievances & suggestions aired, but in no way is it a co-op.
And they still sell vast amounts of comsumerist tat that no-one actually needs...

Er, it's all very well to talk about the downfall of capitalism, but the dude just wants to know where to buy his blazer from! Presumably a company that manufactures them in the west would be OK....

Yeah, its if the blazers are made by unionised workers. or even workers in normal conditions. its not where should i buy my blazer from, the school forces us to by from one shop that they have a contract with. where do they get their supplies from?