This from Reuters:
Sports firms want shoppers to snap up Euro 2004-branded footballs and Olympic Games T-shirts -- without fretting about the lives of the factory workers who make them.
But charities and human rights organisations accusing labels such as Adidas, Nike, Reebok and Puma of violating the rights of millions of workers are stepping up their campaigns as this year's top sports events draw international attention.
"Play Fair at the Olympics", a campaign launched earlier this year, says workers are being pushed to the limit so that firms can get their goods on the shelves quickly.
"Problems are endemic in this industry. We've been shocked by very low wages and long working hours," said Adrie Papma, who heads the project created by non-governmental organisations Oxfam, the Clean Clothes Campaign and Global Unions.
Their report cites examples such as an Indonesian factory where workers took home $99 per month, covering only half of basic living costs, and where employees worked 16 to 18 hours a day, six days in a row.
Human rights campaigners and sports firms both acknowledge that there can be a big gap between written codes and the reality of factory life.
Analysts estimate that Nike, Reebok and Adidas make up around half the sporting footwear market worldwide. The global market for sportswear goods is estimated to generate at least $58 billion per year.
The industry is notoriously competitive but most sporting goods firms use the same suppliers, huge operations which manufacture products for all the big brands. For this reason, charities say the sporting goods industry should set their rivalry aside and draw up standard practices.