RI labor conditions improving, says Nike<\/p>\n
Reuters, New York<\/p>\n
Athletic shoe giant Nike Inc. on Thursday welcomed an aid
\nagency report alleging its workers in Indonesia are overworked
\nand underpaid, but said it had already made improvements to shed
\nits sweatshop image.<\/p>\n
\"We are pleased the 'We are not Machines' report recognizes
\nsome of the progress that has been made in these workplaces and
\nbelieve there is much work that remains to be done,\" Nike said in
\na statement from its Beaverton, Oregon headquarters.<\/p>\n
But it also gently chided the report by Australia-based Oxfam
\nCommunity Aid Abroad, noting it was based on just 35 interviews
\nwith Nike workers in Indonesia, while the athletic shoe maker was
\nworking with an independent body that talked with 4,000
\nemployees.<\/p>\n
The report, \"We are not Machines,\" released on Thursday in
\nJakarta said Nike and rival Adidas Salomon AG have taken steps to
\nimprove conditions in Indonesian factories but that employees are
\nstill overworked and underpaid.<\/p>\n
The companies had responded to pressure from rights groups and
\naid agencies to improve working conditions, but had not done
\nenough, the report said.<\/p>\n
There was no immediate response from Adidas, but in a
\nstatement, Nike said it had received a copy of the report. \"We
\ntake any concerns raised about factories where Nike product is
\nproduced very seriously.<\/p>\n
\"Nike is well aware of the issues raised in the report (based
\non interviews with 35 workers) because we engaged in a
\ntransparent assessment of our Indonesia operations with an
\nindependent entity, the Global Alliance for Workers and
\nCommunities, that involved interviews with 4,000 workers.\"<\/p>\n
Nike said the Global Alliance spent 4,000 hours interviewing
\n4000 workers in nine factories in Indonesia and Nike has
\naddressed all issues of non-compliance found through that work.
\nThe company reports every quarter to the GA on progress on all
\nissues raised in the \"We are not Machines\" report, it said.<\/p>\n
Nike said the Global Alliance is now investing in programs
\nthat workers have identified as critical -- health, harassment,
\nmanagement\/worker relations training and life skills development.<\/p>",
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