Nike promises to remedy problems

Nike promises to remedy problems

PORTLAND, Oregon (AP): Workers at nine of Nike's contract factories in Indonesia have witnessed verbal and physical abuse by supervisors against co-workers, and female employees being coerced into sex, according to a report released by a nonprofit watchdog group.

Employees also complained of being forced to work overtime, seeing assembly-line workers fondled by managers and having access to medical care restricted, the report by Global Alliance released Wednesday found.

Nike, which paid for the report, acknowledged that the findings were "disturbing," but said it welcomed the chance to improve conditions at the 25 Indonesian factories from which it buys products.

"Of course, many of the results are disturbing, but that's exactly what we wanted to find out," said Maria Eitel, Nike's vice president and senior adviser for corporate responsibility. "While the messages are tough, we welcome them."

Global Exchange, a San Francisco-based human rights group, credited Nike for releasing the findings.

"I find the conclusions surprising," said Jason Mark, a spokesman for Global Exchange. "I think it demonstrates a welcomed candor, but the question is what Nike will do with this information."

Researchers from Global Alliance conducted hour-long interviews with 4,004 workers - 6 percent of the work force at the nine factories chosen - for the report. Subjects were chosen at random, and the interviews were unsupervised by factory officials, said Rick Little, chairman of Global Alliance.

The Global Alliance, formed in 1999, is a consortium of groups and companies -- including the World Bank, Nike and The Gap, a major U.S. clothing retail chain -- committed to improving the professional and personal lives of factory workers, especially women, across Asia.

Of the workers surveyed in the latest report, 56 percent said they had seen supervisors verbally abusing co-workers. And 15.7 percent reported observing improper sexual touching. Another 13.7 percent said they saw physical abuse.

Workers reported seeing others punished for being late by making them clean toilets or run around the factory grounds. Others allege that the deaths of two workers were related to the denial of medication.

Most factories have on-site health clinics, but nearly 90 percent of workers surveyed said medication wasn't always available, and others complained that it was difficult to get time off to go to the clinics.

Working conditions at overseas factories have been a consistent public relations problem for the Beaverton, Oregon- based athletic shoe and apparel giant.

Nike paid for the latest report with a US$7.8 million grant.