Email
PrintNike in the Offside! report
Oxfam International's report Offside! Labour Rights and Sportswear Production in Asia, published in May 2006, examines how sports brands are tackling the problem of sweatshops in their industry with a particular focus on workers’ freedom to form and join trade unions.
Nike is featured on pages 3-5, 22–25, 38-40, 43-45, 56, 59, 81-85, and 102.
Summary of Oxfam International assessment of Nike
Nike has recently demonstrated greater transparency and willingness to engage in social dialogue. Nike was the first sports wear company to publicly release supplier details of Nike branded products in 2005.
Nike has admitted that ensuring respect for trade union rights in its supply chain represents a considerable challenge. However, it remains unclear how committed the company is to taking on this challenge.
Nike’s decision to reduce or cut orders to the Doson factory in Indonesia, the Lian Thai factory in Thailand and several Bulgarian factories reduced the presence of unionised factories in Nike’s supply chain and has given other suppliers little incentive to comply with Nike’s code of conduct and allow workers to organise trade unions and bargain collectively.
If Nike is serious about respecting trade union rights then it should prioritise retaining production in factories where workers have established democratic trade unions and should encourage the factory owners to bargain collectively with those workers.