Every time a company subcontract to a company abroad, they are at risk for lawsuits and allegations for they are not able to manage the work environment and monitor labor practices. “The majority of Nike shoes are made in Indonesia and China, countries that prohibit independent unions and set the minimum wage at rock bottom. The Indonesian government admits that the minimum wage there do not provide enough to supply the basic needs of one person, let alone a family”, (Hill, 2013, p. 155).…
Poor working conditions have been present for centuries. Often times little or nothing is done unless a tragedy occurs to persuade the public to rally for worker rights. This was definitely the case in the United States during the Industrial Revolution and even late in the 20th Century. These conditions have for most purposes disappeared in the United States, with the exception of some in the agricultural sector. However, internationally, mainly in poor third world countries, that is far from the truth. Large corporations from the United States have moved a large portion of their factories overseas to circumvent the strict working regulations within the United States. The third…
The success of Nike, however, has not come without controversy. In its efforts to rapidly expand and grow to a worldwide business, the corporation has had its share of ethical controversy, mostly stemming from its largely outsourced factory work. Asian countries like Pakistan, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, China, Philippines, and Thailand contain the majority of Nike’s factories (Professional Ethics Articles, 2012). This has presented Nike with a substantial amount of bad publicity and negative public response.…
The current manufacturing practices of the sneaker industry, in particular companies such as Nike, Reebok, Adidas, Converse, and New Balance, takes place throughout the globe. With the industry experiencing severe competition, and the product requiring intensive labour, firms are facing extreme pressure to increase their profit margins through their sourcing practices. The following paper will analyse the sneaker industry, while examining the multitude of viable manufacturing options, and critiquing their current manufacturing structure.…
Nike plays an enormous role in our youth fashion and athletic attire and has a huge role in our world’s economy and the global effect it has on our earth. Working in the enormous Nike factories around the world is an opportunity to help these people survive. It is not slavery; it is a chance for the poor to get a job and support their families. Nike said they would change their practices and they have. Nike had a few steps to get back into the game. The first step was to identify the problems such as workers’ wages, working environment and then make the improvements, and while doing that they were helping the poor. In the past,…
An investigation was conducted where Nike was found to have a large number of cases that involved forced labor or child labor law violations in some of the large apparel factories of Nike. In a particular factory in Malaysia, it was found that Nike was operating production in terrible working conditions for the employees in addition to the forced labor. It was found that Nike had underage children working in sweatshops up to seventy hours a week in unhealthy conditions making their products. Pakistan has a population of approximately 1 million people and it is also an important location or “hub” per say for the production of goods that are to be…
Because Nike came under fire for this unethical and inhumane practice, the organization attempted to reduce this practice. Pakistan and Cambodia have strict child labor and slavery laws, however, the government has done very little to regulate it.…
Sialkot, Pakistan, where many Nike soccer balls are produced, has a model economy, especially in such a poor country. The lack of poverty is mainly due to the fact that children are able to work to help support their families financially. David Montero, Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor, explained that a majority 70 percent of the local marketing system of Sialkot depends upon income from child laborers, which is approximately 20,000 families that would be forced into poverty if the United States banned Nike from importing their products due to the makers being underneath working age. Without the consumers from the United States, families in Sialkot and a myriad of other third world countries would would go into a state of poverty. For the sake of all these children and their families’ well-being, the U.S. should continue to buy products that have been manufactured with the use of child…
Protests started in 1992, only a year after Ballinger published his article Considering Nike’s current success, the company was able to maintain a decent image following the sweatshop scandal.…
Nike shoes are endorsed by numerous professional athletes and are quite famous for their aerodynamic designs and the great comfort they provide. From famous tennis players like Serena Williams to NBA all-stars like Michael Jordan, many professional athletes, who have quite a significant influence on the public, can be seen on television advertisements endorsing Nike. Persuaded through these advertisements on television and social media, consumers line up daily in front of Nike stores worldwide, but most consumers do not even know how the shoes they buy are made. As of recently, Nike has been under the public’s speculation for “child labor at a Cambodian sweatshop” and has been criticized heavily by countless humanitarian activists because of their use of sweatshops (Mason). Generally, in these sweatshops, workers and machines are crammed into tight spaces with dust and almost no light (Powell). However, some may argue that sweatshops are advantageous because only a small group of people suffer for the benefit of others, which is an ideology…
Ethical issues may include the violation of fundamental human rights of ‘sweatshop’ workers such as freedom, speech and discrimination. The treatment of their workers could be deemed ‘unethical’ by media who construe this view to consumers. Such allegations can and will have damaging effects with Nike having been taken to court already in the past.…
Would you buy something that a 10-year-old made? I know I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t buy it because I wouldn’t like to make it. Those kids in those hot, musty factories are only getting paid about $1 to $2 a day, according to The New York Times. Kids are having to work in horrible conditions. They are dying while working. They also have very heavy machinery in the factories. Along with many other companies, Nike took the pledge to End Child Labor. They also applied the rules abroad the United States.…
Nike for example, cut their deal with Saga which “accounted for $33 million of the industry’s $210 million total.” As stated by Montero. Saga is a huge business which supports many families that need child labor. As many as “20,000 families would get affected” with the deal Nike ended and “%70 percent of the local market relies on them [child labor] for work.” according to Saga’s estimate. I understand that many consumers may want to boycott these companies’ products using child labor; however, a boycott might hurt many of these poor families, therefore leading to more child labor in possibly harsher working conditions based on their desperate need for work. Consumers need to take into consideration how their actions might benefit everyone not just the children. A worldwide boycott on an immense business could turn out catastrophic throughout the world because consumers thought they were doing the “right…
- Nike has also been accused of child labour in Pakistan for making footballs. Even though Pakistan is against child labour and slavery, the government has done very little to enforce it. An average person in Pakistan earns only $5 per day; usually with families up to 10 people. With such low pay, child labour is spreading all over Pakistan since the parents can’t earn enough to support the entire family. An entire documentary was filmed for this but the government didn’t do anything to stop it. No one is trying to get these kids out of labour and into school. Education is very limited in poor countries and is a low priority. About half of the world’s footballs are made in Pakistan and there is a very likely chance that a child was involved in making the ball. This is not only a problem in Pakistan but 200 other countries as well. Some ages 4-5 are already working.…
Nike publicizes itself as one of the leaders of corporate responsibility. However, they do not comply with several human rights obligations overseas in countries like Thailand, Pakistan, China, Vietnam and Indonesia. In these countries, production facilities called sweatshops have been running for almost 35 years employing workers as young as…