Nike Accused Of Labour Abuse At Vietnam Unit

Many factory workers who make Nike shoes in Vietnam are paid low wages, suffer abuse and even corporal punishment, a group of human rights and labour activists charged on Thursday.

Also, some workers making Nike shoes in Indonesia are paid below minimum wage, they said. The group, which included representatives of Vietnam Labour Watch and Press for Change, held a news conference in New York City to publicise their findings.

Thuyen Nguyen of Vietnam Labour Watch, who just returned from a trip to Vietnam, said he found workers at factories contracted by Nike making less than minimum wage in the first three months of employment.

 

Some are limited to one trip to the bathroom and two drinks of water per shift, and verbal abuse, sexual harassment and corporal punishment are common, he said.

On one occasion, 56 women were forced to run around a factory because they weren't wearing regulation shoes and 12 fainted, he said.

A Nike executive said he could not confirm Nguyen's findings but said the company welcomes and works with independent observers to monitor, train and improve working conditions overseas.

"Bring us information we can use, and we'll do our damndest to correct any situations that are wrong," said Dusty Kidd, director of labour practices for the Beaverton, Oregon-based recreational shoe giant. "We're looking for ways to make it better."