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NikeWatch - challenging sports brands to respect workers' rights
Finished sports clothing like these sell for large amounts of money in developed countries.
Photo: Martin Wurt/OxfamAUS.
Many people are living in poverty - even though they have paid jobs. They earn low wages, endure poor working conditions and are denied their basic human rights. And when these workers try to organise unions to campaign for better wages and conditions, they often face dismissal and even violence.
This is the case for workers in the global sportswear industry. Workers producing for companies like Nike, FILA, adidas, Puma, New Balance and Asics commonly face low wages, long hours, verbal abuse, dangerous working conditions, denial of trade union rights and high levels of sexual harassment (80 per cent of sportswear workers are women). Oxfam Australia is part of a global campaign to persuade sports brands to respect workers’ rights.
Interactive diagram: labour rights explained
On this site you'll find the latest campaign news, reports on labour conditions in sportswear production and actions you can take.
As well as campaigning on labour rights in sportswear, Oxfam Australia supports local organisations in East Asia and South Asia that are educating workers about their rights, helping them to organise trade unions and campaign to persuade governments and companies to respect labour rights.
Our labour rights work is coordinated by Kelly Dent and Daisy Gardener. Tim Connor will return at the end of 2008. For urgent media comment only phone +61 (0)410 442 844 (note Sydney's time zone is GMT+10). For all other enquiries email us.
