Clarification sought over abuse of Nike workers in Indonesia
Clarification sought over abuse of Nike workers in Indonesia
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Footwear Association (Apresindo)
was cautious on Monday in responding to reported labor abuses in
Nike's Indonesian partner factories.
Apresindo chairman Anton J. Supit said the association was
seeking clarification both from Global Alliance and Nike
production companies over reports that nine of the American
footwear giant's contract factories in Indonesia had seen verbal
and physical abuse of subordinates perpetrated by supervisors.
Anton said that as far as he knew Nike was quite strict on
labor standards.
"We want Global Alliance to be more transparent in its survey
so as to ascertain whether verbal and physical abuse is rampant
in the factories. And the factories should admit their wrongdoing
if their workers have been abused," he said at a press conference
here on Monday.
He said Apresindo would support any measures taken to uphold
the law and that legal proceedings should be taken against any
companies found guilty of violating labor law, industrial
relations norms and the applicable regulations.
"If the Global Alliance report is true, crimes have been
committed and the companies abusing their workers should be
brought to justice," he said.
He suggested that workers report any mistreatment they saw or
suffered in the workplace.
The management of companies affiliated with Asperindo would
not prohibit their workers from protesting poor labor conditions
in the nine factories concerned, as long as such protests were
conducted peacefully.
He said it was impossible for Nike's Indonesian partner
companies to pay their workers in line with the remuneration paid
to workers in the United States because the Indonesian companies
received only 30 percent of the Nike selling price for their
products.
"It's impossible for us to give more to the workers to improve
their standard of living because we receive only 30 percent from
every pair we produce while the greater part goes to the brand
holder," he explained.
He said the 10 factories producing footwear for Nike were
paying their workers at least Rp 700,000, far above the monthly
minimum wage in Tangerang which was only Rp 426,000. (rms)