The "Right Shoes Campaign" has begun. Let's write to Nike and Reebok demanding them to respect their workers. By Marinella Correggia

Nike received a slap in the face in May when American-based "Made in US Foundation" reported their practice of expoiting ten- and eleven-year-olds in Asian factories subcontracting the manufacture of the renowned sports shoes. Nike hedged but a short time later got a kick in the face: the front cover of the famous "Life" magazine showed a Pakistani child busily sewing leather footballs marked "Nike". Anyhow, activist Jeff Ballinger, founder of the "Press for Change" group has for years been bringing in proof upon proof of the scandalous difference between what Indonesian workers in the Nike chain are paid (little more than a dollar a day) and what publicity champions get when advertising the multinational's sporting goods.

Nike denies that child labour is a wide-spread practice among its Asian suppliers. Now the entire production of sports shoes has shifted to the lowest-paid countries in Asia; first it centered in Korea and Taiwan, but since Trade Unions have become stronger new havens have been sought - Vietnam, Indonesia and China. It is not merely a question of under-14 labour. If it is true, and true it is, that children work when their parents do not bring home enough, the main problem becomes the ridiculous wages earned by adults.

Nike and Reebok

At first the arrogance of society gave itself leave to say: "Well, if we don't want to make European and American youngsters pay their shoes too much we have to save on production costs". Please see the enclosed tables where the final selling price of ITL 112,000 is shown. Manufacture cost is ITL 1,890. Bata, which is not a charitable institution, pays its workers much more. The fact is that an only sports champion pockets more for making a Nike commercial than all the tens of thousands of Indonesian workers put together.

Nike can well say: "We've followed all the rules. We have spontaneously approved a behaviour code which local producers must adhere to in every country of the world, whether it be Indonesia or Vietnam." What a pity that a) the contents are ridiculous (wages apt to satisfy the primary needs of a worker are not mentioned, the maximum weekly working hours must be...60, which means ten a day, six days a week); b) there is absolutely no means of control outside of Nike itself. Anyway, who would go and check if the Asian manufacturers abide by Nike's voluntary code?

Let's change make. Reebok, the second sports shoe colossus, who holds 20% of the market against Nike's 30%, passes as being better. Each year Reebok gives bonuses to human rights activists and has a better behaviour code. But there remains the problem that no-one checks whether it is respected or not. And so, besides extremely low wages the problems of total job insecurity, dangerous working conditions and physical coercion are added. The multinationals wash their hands of the whole affair. Those people are not their employees, they just buy from them. "Let's not forget that in the 70's multinationals opposed all UNO's attempts to impose any coercive behaviour codes; now they're trying to look good by applying voluntary codes - it's a joke" says Pradeep Metha, Indian, Director of Cuts Consumer Organisation.

Boycott

That is why the "Right Shoes" campaign, launched by the Centro Nuovo Modello di Sviluppo (New Model of Development Centre) founded by Vecchiano (author of the book "Sulla pelle dei bambini", meaning "At the children's expense" and denouncing child labour). The campaign, supported by Mani Tese, requests Italian citizens and consumers to send Nike and Reebok Italian offices and points of sale special postcards demanding them to adopt proper behaviour codes (like the one proposed) and above all that there be certified checks performed by independent Trade Unions and Associations ensuring that the behaviour codes be upheld.

"The campaign is connected to other similar initiatives in France, England, Holland and the United States" says Francuccio Gesualdi, co-ordinator of the Vecchiano Centre. "We are aiming at Nike and Reebok because they are the biggest multinationals in this field, even on the Italian Market. But this does not mean that smaller enterprises are blameless. On the contrary, we have reason to believe that their shoes are obtained more or less in the same way. Despite this, we have decided to postpone putting them under pressure until we have greater information about their way of working. Anyhow we know that competition stops small-scale enterprises from behaving any other way as long as the big multinationals keep at it".

Consumers have one way to change things. Boycotting is the extreme measure to take and, in the intial phase, which is right now, warning the enterprise by means of a signed post card. The more the better. But, in the meantime, do you need a pair of shoes and don't know who to turn to? While waiting to have greater information about the behaviour of Italian manufacturers, or Nike and Reebok to convert, exploit expert Jeff Ballinger advises: "Make sure the shoes are at least "made in Korea" or "made in Taiwan". The conditions there are far more humane than in other Asian countries".