Nike Sweatshops
By: Austin Burke
Working Conditions
Workers in Nike factories in Indonesia get paid 20 cents per hour. Others have been paid $1.25 a day. A study showed that with this kind of wage it isn't possible to live. Factory workers work from about 77-84 hours a week without any bonuses. They work over high supervision and many in crammed working spaces. Almost all workers are women and many are uneducated.
Living Conditions
Nike workers in Indonesia would live in factory suburbs of the capital. These families would live in 9 by 9 concrete cubes. Families would have to share a bathroom with 5-10 other families. There was no running water in these suburbs, so their waste would flow into streams right outside their "homes". Another dangerous hazard was the kids playing area. This same area was where Nike would burn excess parts mainly made out of rubber. This releases toxic chemicals into the air which can cause cancer and other serious diseases. A major problem in there society is kids not going to school. Without kids going to school the next generations to come won't be educated and won't be able to leave their current situation.
Illegal use
Workers in these sweatshops have been reported beaten and yelled at. On average 15 women a day are slapped in these factories. Some set out to protest but the government can illegally send you to jail. They would get beat, kicked, insulted by the supervisors inside and outside of the factory. Finally Nike managed to change the minimum wage for their workers in other countries making the job unlivable for most people.
The union
Their are unions in multiple countries against NIke's policies. Places like, China, Taiwan, and Indonesia all have protested for the same thing, more money. Many of them were beaten or thrown into jail illegally. This prevented the union to get anywhere and many people were scared to protest. To help the workers international organizations would have to help them to reduce Nikes business until they raise the wages. One major organization fighting for their rights in the Global Exchange.
My Reaction
After researching how Nike treated their factory workers I felt cheated and not proud to wear their products. It made me want to wear other sports wear companies items instead of their and now I think I should. After hearing this I wondered how Nike can do this but still sell in America. Can America do anything such as cutting Nike off, or raising prices so high people won't buy them?