Run Run Away

Question:

Although I suspect a fair amount of subcontracting abuse goes on, this particular report sent off all sort of bogus warning bells. You should at least notify the accused companies and give them a chance to respond, or not change will take place.

Response:

Not to beat the Nike thing to death (’cause its way past that), I’ve been accused of using outdated sources to prove that Adidas and other companies besided Nike are actively engaged in sweatshop labour in Asian countries, soooo… (edited for brevity)      March 19, 1998      Group Says Chinese Sweatshops Make US Goods      By Patrick Connole      WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A labor rights group is charging that      21 Chinese factories subjected garment workers to      “sweatshop” conditions in the making products for major      label U.S. manufacturers like Nike and Wal-Mart      The New York-based National Labor Committee (NLC), the same      organization that exposed the use of child labor in Honduran      factories used by Wal-Mart for the Kathie Lee Gifford line,      said a new investigation revealed a growing network of      factories imposing near slave-like conditions on workers.      “We found forced overtime, 60-96 hour work weeks, 10-15 hour      shifts, six and seven days a week for below-subsistence wages      of 13-28 cents an hour, without benefits,” said NLC director      Charles Kernaghan.      The factory investigations revealed garments and shoes being      made under harsh conditions for Wal-Mart, Ann Taylor, Liz      Claiborne, Ralph Lauren, Nike and Adidas, among other Western      companies, the groups said.      “The workers are housed in dirty, crowded dorms, five rooms      to a bed, each shared by two workers. In many of these dorms,      workers have a choice in the morning of either thin rice gruel      or steamed bread,” Kernaghan said of one factory      investigated.      Nike goods made at the Yue Yein Factory were produced by young      women earning 19 cents an hour, the NLC report said.      Kernaghan pushed for a national campaign to expose worker and      human rights conditions in factories used worldwide by U.S.      manufacturers. He noted that many of the U.S. companies may      not even know where their clothes were being produced, since      the secret web of Chinese subcontractors has flourished.      The NLC also said efforts by companies like Wal-Mart to      enforce “codes of conduct” in their manufacturing outlets      have failed.      “They had never heard of any Kathie Lee/Wal-Mart code of      conduct. Yet the Kathie Lee hang-tags tell the American people      that when you purchase these handbags made in China, money      will be donated to children charities,” Kernaghan said.      A statement from Wal-Mart said since 1992 the company has      required vendors to comply with “our Standards for Vendors.”      “The problems outlined by the NLC transcend Wal-Mart, Kathie      Lee and the modern garment industry,” the Wal-Mart statement      said.      Further, the company said it has worked to correct any      deficiencies in their factories.      “As an example, two of the factories mentioned by Mr.      Kernaghan did not pass our factory certification program in      1996 due to blocked fire exits. We worked with the factories      by providing them time to correct the failed conditions. The      factories were certified weeks later,” the company said. — JerryB Keep On Truckin’ Running, Zambonis, Employment, Sports and more… http://www.windsor.igs.net/~zamboni

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