How are Nike workers treated in China?

Workers only get 2-4 days off every month. This violates both China’s Labour Law and Nike’s Code, which states that workers are entitled to at least one day of rest every week. After working at the factory for one year, workers are given an annual leave of five days, and after two years this becomes seven days.

Does Nike still use forced labor?

The report stated: “The brand can show no evidence of a Living Wage being paid to any workers”. Moreover, in 2020, the Washington Post reported that Nike purchases from a factory that relies on forced labor from Uyghurs.

How many workers does Nike have in China?

Nike has operated in China for 35 years, O’Hollaren said. It employs more than 8,000 people directly in its Shanghai headquarters and Taicang Distribution Center. It also hires 40,000 people in its partner stores and another 145,000 in its supplier base.

How much do Chinese Nike employees make?

A typical worker the plant might earn around $400 a month depending on position and overtime, according to China Labor Watch, which published a report on the facility in 2010. Hours vary in China’s factories, but a 60-hour week is not uncommon.

What did Nike say to China?

Nike is committed to ethical and responsible manufacturing and we uphold international labor standards. We are concerned about reports of forced labor in, and connected to, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).

Who makes Nikes in China?

The South Korean-owned Taekwang factory is one of Nike’s largest suppliers, producing 8 million pairs of Nike footwear a year—including signature lines such as Air Max and Shox. It partnered with Chinese-government-run forced-labor programs that are linked to crimes against humanity.

Did Nike use sweatshops?

Nike sweatshops Nike had been accused of using sweatshops to produce its sneakers and activewear since the 1970s, but it was only in 1991 when activist Jeff Ballinger published a report detailing the low wages and poor working conditions in Nike’s Indonesian factories that the sportswear brand came under fire.

Is Nike using forced labour from China’s Uighur people?

Corporate giants including Nike face growing calls to cut ties with suppliers alleged to be using “forced labour” from China’s Uighur people. Activists have launched a campaign accusing firms of “bolstering and benefiting” from exploitation of the Muslim minority group.

Why did Nike stop hiring people from Xinjiang?

Nike said after it confronted one of its suppliers, Taekwang Group, about the issue, the firm stopped recruiting employees from Xinjiang at one of its factories. The sportswear company said that Taekwang said those workers “had the ability to end or extend contracts their contracts at any time”.

How many factories does Nike have in China?

At present there are around 146 factories in China employing 189,000 workers. Nike make a large variety of products in factories across China. These factories provide valuable jobs to the workers although the wider implications of these factories can sometimes help and hinder development in China. How can Nike help development in China?

Why is the Chinese market so important to Nike?

In recent years the Chinese market has become increasingly important to the ‘Greater China’ brand in Nike. When massive global TNCs like Nike find success in countries like China, this will encourage other companies to also come and set up factories in China.