2) Wage:
Over 90 percent of the Nike workers in Vietnam are women, and most of them are between the ages of 15 and 28. A uniform complaint among the women that they were not being paid a liveable wage. The daily wage is approximately $1.60 and the cost of three simple meals is $2.10 per day. The women literally have to make a daily choice between eating a balanced meal and paying rent for the single rooms that most of them rent out. 90% of the workers received extra help in terms of finance, food, or housing from their families to make ends meet. Most of the women are from the countryside, and they cannot afford to save money to send back home to their families.
3) Working conditions:
Several factory rules in place violate sensibilities and …show more content…
Verbal abuse and sexual harassment are frequent, and corporal punishment is often used. During a two week survey conducted, 56 women workers at a Nike factory were forced to run around the factories premise because they were not wearing regulation shoes. Twelve of them suffered shock symptoms, fainted during the run and were taken to the hospital. This deplorable event occurred on International Women’s Day, an important holiday when Vietnam honours its women. This abuse of workers reflects Nikes inability to enforce its Code of Conduct. It took place during a period when Nike knew that Vietnam Labour Watch was in Vietnam investigating Nike labour practices Forced and excessive overtime to meet high quotas is currently the norm at Nike factories. During January1997, workers who worked over 80 hours of overtime, and in February, which was a short month due to the national four-day holiday for Lunar New Year, they were forced to work over 70 hours of …show more content…
In broad daylight, in front of other workers, these supervisors would try to touch, rub or grab the buttocks or chest areas of these women. Those women who are considered particularly good looking are frequent targets of sexual harassment. One supervisor even told a female factory worker that it is a common custom for Korean men to greet women they like by grabbing their behinds.
Nike claimed to have little control over VT under the subcontracting arrangement, and due to the Vietnamese government’s willingness to attract foreign capital, regulation of companies like VT had become even more difficult. However, human rights and labour activists in cities like Portland, San Francisco, and New York, were beginning to organize campaigns against labour conditions in “sweatshops”. In October 1997, groups in over 10countries organized protests, pickets, and informational campaigns regarding Nike’s production practices. By April 1998, protests and pickets expanded to more cities and countries across the US and Europe. International NGOs, such as Global Exchange, along with individual activists, pressured Nike to force its subcontractors in Asia to improve their labour
Over 90 percent of the Nike workers in Vietnam are women, and most of them are between the ages of 15 and 28. A uniform complaint among the women that they were not being paid a liveable wage. The daily wage is approximately $1.60 and the cost of three simple meals is $2.10 per day. The women literally have to make a daily choice between eating a balanced meal and paying rent for the single rooms that most of them rent out. 90% of the workers received extra help in terms of finance, food, or housing from their families to make ends meet. Most of the women are from the countryside, and they cannot afford to save money to send back home to their families.
3) Working conditions:
Several factory rules in place violate sensibilities and …show more content…
Verbal abuse and sexual harassment are frequent, and corporal punishment is often used. During a two week survey conducted, 56 women workers at a Nike factory were forced to run around the factories premise because they were not wearing regulation shoes. Twelve of them suffered shock symptoms, fainted during the run and were taken to the hospital. This deplorable event occurred on International Women’s Day, an important holiday when Vietnam honours its women. This abuse of workers reflects Nikes inability to enforce its Code of Conduct. It took place during a period when Nike knew that Vietnam Labour Watch was in Vietnam investigating Nike labour practices Forced and excessive overtime to meet high quotas is currently the norm at Nike factories. During January1997, workers who worked over 80 hours of overtime, and in February, which was a short month due to the national four-day holiday for Lunar New Year, they were forced to work over 70 hours of …show more content…
In broad daylight, in front of other workers, these supervisors would try to touch, rub or grab the buttocks or chest areas of these women. Those women who are considered particularly good looking are frequent targets of sexual harassment. One supervisor even told a female factory worker that it is a common custom for Korean men to greet women they like by grabbing their behinds.
Nike claimed to have little control over VT under the subcontracting arrangement, and due to the Vietnamese government’s willingness to attract foreign capital, regulation of companies like VT had become even more difficult. However, human rights and labour activists in cities like Portland, San Francisco, and New York, were beginning to organize campaigns against labour conditions in “sweatshops”. In October 1997, groups in over 10countries organized protests, pickets, and informational campaigns regarding Nike’s production practices. By April 1998, protests and pickets expanded to more cities and countries across the US and Europe. International NGOs, such as Global Exchange, along with individual activists, pressured Nike to force its subcontractors in Asia to improve their labour