Offside: labour rights and sportswear production in Asia

Wednesday, 24 May 2006 02:27

A new report on the sportswear industry and respect for workers’ rights confirms once again that sports company Fila is dragging its heels on workers’ rights. The Oxfam report focuses on freedom of association, a crucial means to allow workers to fight for better conditions, as well as a human right in itself. It profiles 12 sports brands, using case studies from factories in Indonesia, China and elsewhere.

In one case, a FILA sport shoe supplier in Indonesia with an appalling record of worker abuse closed suddenly and without warning. A year later, none of its 3,500 workers have received any back-pay or severance pay. FILA refuses to reveal its role in the closure or take responsibility for the workers.