No person should be without their human rights. Everyone should have a place to live, food to eat, clothing to wear, enough money to take care of their families and a job which pays enough for all this to happen. Sweatshops violate human rights. A sweatshop is “a shop or factory in which employees work long hours at low wages under poor conditions.” (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sweatshops). Too many humans are forced to work for little money in unsanitary and insecure working conditions in China. Many other countries around the world (mainly countries in the third-world) also have no protection from these unacceptable labour conditions.

Nike is a very well known shoe and athletic wear company. Not many people know that Nike controls many sweatshops. Nike should not be allowed to pay people less than a living wage, make them work for an outrageous amount of hours, and make them work under the present appalling laws and conditions.

A living wage is “A wage sufficient to provide minimally satisfactory living conditions.” (http://www.answers.com/living+wage&r=67). Nike employees do not even receive this small, living wage. “Nike gains this profit through the perpetuation of human suffering. The wages Nike pays are less than workers need to live on. No one can survive in the long term on Nike pay.” (http://irregulartimes.com/nike.html) Some sad facts are that some Nike employees in China receive only $1.60 each day, when three small meals a day on average costs about $2.00. In fact, it would take only 4% of Nike’s advertising money to provide all of their employees with a living wage. These workers earn only an average of 20 cents an hour. In these sweatshops, employees are not paid extra when they work forced overtime. In response to all this, Nike says, “Workers in Indonesia earn Rupiah, not dollars. Characterizing these wage packages in U.S. dollars is simply inappropriate.” (Harris, 2001) And yet, all the amounts above are not what they earn in ‘Rupiah’, but what they earn in U.S. dollars. The wages Nike provides in these sweatshops is simply intolerable.

The amount of hours Nike employees work is plainly unjust. “While labour laws say the maximum yearly overtime is 200 hours, on average Nike workers are forced to work 500+ hours per year. If workers refuse, they are punished or receive a warning. After three warnings, they’re fired.” (http://www.saigon.com/~nike/reports/hilight.doc). Nike employees work 77-84 hours per week, seven days a week. That is 11-12 hours of work each day. For all those hours, they earn only $1.60. “In 25% to 50% of Nike’s factories, work hours exceed legal limit.” (http://www.educatingforjustice.org/stopnikesweatshops.htm). These hours violate every code of conduct you could find anywhere. “The long working hours at these factories also violate Nike's own Code, which stipulates that workers work no more than 60 hours of work per week.” (http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/55/019.html). Workers are not permitted to take any breaks during these long hours of work, and are not allowed to go to the washroom more than once. When, as often is the case, employees do not complete their work for the day, they are forced to work without pay until they complete it. Nike should not be permitted to force their employees to work as long as is stated above.

Nike employees do not work in safe and sanitary working conditions. “It is a common occurrence for workers to faint from exhaustion, heat, fumes and poor nutrition during their shifts.” (http://www.saigon.com/~nike/reports/hilight.doc). There is corporal punishment in Nike factories and fining for many false reasons, such as being found talking, being pregnant, and being older than the age of 25. At Nike, they have very cruel and unique punishments. “56 women workers at a Nike factory were forced to run around the factory’s premise in the hot sun because they weren’t wearing regulation shoes. 12 fainted during the run and were taken to the hospital.” (http://www.saigon.com/~nike/reports/hilight.doc). “15 Vietnamese women were hit over the head by their supervisor for poor sewing. 2 were sent to the hospital afterward.” (http://www.saigon.com/~nike/fact-sheet.htm). In an average Nike factory, there are approximately ten children in the sewing section alone. Nike replies “The way we approach business is simple-relentless improvement.” (Harris, 2001), but according to the facts above, either Nike isn’t telling the full truth or they aren’t improving enough. The working conditions of Nike are unbearable, as they make work painful for their employees.

In conclusion, Nike does not provide a beneficial working environment for its employees, through its low wages, the unbelievably long working hours, and through the dreadful working conditions. In no country should Nike sweatshops be legal. Nike is abusing its power, and it has to stop!