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ADIDAS Investigating Claim That Its Olympics Line Is Being Made in ‘Sweatshop’ Conditions

ADIDAS Investigating Claim That Its Olympics Line is Being Made in Sweatshop Conditions

(Photo: AFP)

(NewsCorp/The Blaze)  Allegations that Olympics uniforms are being manufactured in “sweatshop” conditions overseas are being investigated by Adidas, with London Games organizers saying they are taking the claims “extremely seriously.”

The Independent newspaper has alleged that the Olympic merchandise to be worn by British athletes and volunteers at the 2012 Games “is being manufactured for Adidas in sweatshop conditions in Indonesia.”

Workers at nine Indonesian factories that have contracts to produce Olympic shoes and clothing for Adidas are allegedly working up to 65-hour weeks and earning as little as 34 pence ($1.00) an hour, the paper said.  “They also endure verbal and physical abuse, they allege, are forced to work overtime, and are punished for not reaching production targets.”

Of the claim that four suppliers in Indonesia pay below minimum wages, Adidas said only one supplier did so, adding that reports of excessive overtime were “an exception” and had to be voluntary, according to Sky News.

ADIDAS Investigating Claim That Its Olympics Line is Being Made in Sweatshop Conditions

(Photo: Sky News)

A spokeswoman for the London organizing committee said, “We place a high priority on environmental, social and ethical issues when securing goods and services and take these allegations extremely seriously.”

“We have spoken to Adidas and they have assured us that they are investigating these allegations, the conclusions of which will be made public.”

The Commission for a Sustainable London 2012, which oversees ethical practices relating to the Games, said it was “deeply concerned” about the report.

“The [organizers' priority] must be to investigate these issues and act accordingly to protect workers’ rights and improve working conditions,” chairman Shaun McCarthy demanded.

Comments (33)

  • MissKitty33
    Posted on April 15, 2012 at 3:45pm

    Surprise, surprise as this has been going on for some time. Chances are most if not all of the clothing and undergarments you are now wearing were manufactured in a sweatshop. Welcomed to Globalization boys and girls as this is the new industrial standard for the manufacturing of garments.

    Funny thing is I do not hear anyone from the left or right standing up for what is right here. Considering that this has been going on for YEARS with the blessings from our elected officials and this being an election year, it would be a great point to drive home. Let’s bring our jobs back to America would be a great slogan but all I hear is silence. THEY do not care and they never will. We, the American people have been sold out.

    Report Post » MissKitty33  
    • teamarcheson
      Posted on April 15, 2012 at 6:35pm

      Its China. China is one big sweat shop. What is wrong with these dopes. You cannot make cheap stuff people want unless you make it in sweat shops with slave labor. What is wrong with you people.

      Report Post »  
    • teamarcheson
      Posted on April 15, 2012 at 6:41pm

      Where the hell do you dopes think all those exotic batteries come from? The poisonous and toxic chemical elements used to make long lasting batteries and rechargeable batteries for cars like the GM Volt are make by Chinese in toxic waste sweat shops. Did you dopes forget about the Orange Foam from the rivers where the Chinese Olympics were held. You dopes do not care about anything except your own cheap stuff from China. The stuff you buy from China is made by people who will not live past their 40th birthday because of the cancers they get thanks to you. Socialism is wonderful.

      Report Post »  
  • sgtstubbs
    Posted on April 15, 2012 at 2:55pm

    Get use to it….Its like York Peppermint and other Hershey products are being made in MEXICO… This is why they are placing ads on TV….I checked it out and it is truel.

    Report Post » sgtstubbs  
    • roostercogburn
      Posted on April 15, 2012 at 7:24pm

      I have had to really check where some food products are manufactured at, remember when we were supposed to have “truth in origin” label’s on food packages so we would know where it came from, not so, do some checking and you would be amazed how much comes from Mexico and China.
      Like Glenn said, our problem is in Washington, we need to take it back, clean it up and cut it back, it will destroy us if we don’t.

      Report Post » roostercogburn  
  • Arshloch
    Posted on April 15, 2012 at 2:26pm

    From sweatshop to sweatshop – who cares?

    Report Post » Arshloch  
  • hi
    Posted on April 15, 2012 at 9:54am

    The picture proves my point that only athletic sports where one must be physically fit should be in the Olympics. I fear to see pictures of shooters in that sporting gear.

    Report Post » hi  
    • Ruler4You
      Posted on April 15, 2012 at 10:46am

      Actually, I’m getting a little gun shy over the claims of “sweatshop” conditions these days.

      “Sweatshop” seems to be a subjective term. And after seeing what happened at the China Apple factory, it‘s for sure these are simply idiots that don’t understand either economics or cultures or business. And are only people looking for personal notoriety.

      Report Post » Ruler4You  
    • DesdemonasCrew
      Posted on April 15, 2012 at 5:08pm

      The picture doesn’t prove squat.

      Report Post » DesdemonasCrew  
  • Magyar
    Posted on April 15, 2012 at 7:27am

    I lived in Indonesia and visited factories that manufacture golf gloves, running shoes etc. I have news for you, this is a big chunk of BS probably launched by some uber left ******* looking to make political hay and name for him/herself. The factories are BIG, clean and the working conditions fine. Vietnam, Thailand and CHINA are a different story.

    Report Post »  
    • hi
      Posted on April 15, 2012 at 9:55am

      I agree. The people are so happy to have their job. Libs are full of baloney.

      Report Post » hi  
  • kickagrandma
    Posted on April 15, 2012 at 6:34am

    Buy “MADE IN THE USA”, “Made in ISRAEL” or at least in this hemisphere. Stop buying anything “made in china”. they want to bury us, folks. Don’t purchase stuff from there, indonesia, india, wherever the muslimes are in control. The women and children do not see the money they are owed.

    OR, make it yourself. Now, there’s a creative thought!

    Report Post »  
    • MittensKittens
      Posted on April 15, 2012 at 7:34am

      It’s too late for that, we need a good old fashion uprising to reset the balance in this country…over half of Americans have been lobotomized and can’t think for themselves anyway. They do what the boob tube tells them to do… and because the tube is in Obama’s pocket we got a problem. I can see the headlines now…

      United State of America
      Born July 4th 1776
      Died Nov. 2nd 2012
      May God have mercy on your soul…

      Report Post » MittensKittens  
    • SERUM
      Posted on April 15, 2012 at 9:19am

      Buy Wellco boots, New Balance shoes, buy US made t-shirts at your military surplus stores (you can feel the quality!) or your local resale shops and estate sales, there’s a number of ways you can save money and still buy “American”!

      Report Post »  
    • The Gooch
      Posted on April 15, 2012 at 11:56am

      Good luck. New Balance is the only big name shoe manufacturer that has plants in the U.S. And they don’t make athletic shoes domestically that I can find.
      I will make an effort to buy American, but I’m not fooling myself about the world we live in. I prefer a brand called Propet. Great shoes… made by the Chinese.
      You know, the only thing I’ve found that I can buy that is 100% American made is firearms. The only weapon I have in my collection that was not made in the U.S. is .22LR/.22Magnum revolver. I bought the gun from my uncle. Excellent condition for a 50 year old weapon. Made by some company in Germany. I reckon I’ll trust the Germans to make a reliable pistol. I’ll shoot my Chinese shoes with it when I wear them out from use.

      Report Post »  
  • Constructionist
    Posted on April 15, 2012 at 2:42am

    I think all Americans should support much higher wages for foreign labor. That way, inner city thugs in America would have to rob three times as many people to afford their new ‘kicks’ from the shoe companies. Obama should make this a plank in his new platform… we can call it ‘stab and trade’.

    Report Post » Constructionist  
  • trueamerican40
    Posted on April 14, 2012 at 11:47pm

    YES! Ethics and morality–what the heck is that in today’s world?

    Report Post » trueamerican40  
  • KangarooJack
    Posted on April 14, 2012 at 11:37pm

    …and this WILL make an impact the next time an inner-city store gets mobbed and/or shootings involved in the purcase of the next “new” tennis shoe????

    Report Post » KangarooJack  
  • spirited
    Posted on April 14, 2012 at 11:33pm

    Perhaps Reverend Al Sharpton would be interested
    (from the bottom of his civil heart)
    to go to Indonesia and help.
    –Besides, CNN can get an exclusive.

    His New Black Panther buddies could be helpful too: Be Al’s security

    >and find utopia.

    Report Post » spirited  
  • LeadNotFollow
    Posted on April 14, 2012 at 11:21pm

    …
    I just wish I could buy something in America with a label that says “Made in the USA”.

    I’m sick of all this foreign crap. I picked up some rather expensive gourmet cat food for my neighbor’s cats this week. I read the box. It said “Made in Thailand”.

    I told my neighbor where it was made. He is now looking for an American made cat food.

    Report Post »  
  • schattrton
    Posted on April 14, 2012 at 11:19pm

    honest mistake, they thought the goods were falling from the sky

    Report Post »  
  • jujubeebee
    Posted on April 14, 2012 at 11:12pm

    Go consult Kathy Lee Gifford. It must be a slow news day.

    Report Post »  
  • marine249
    Posted on April 14, 2012 at 11:10pm

    I bet TIM gets 3 or 4 up before BLAZE can post this.

    Report Post »  
  • Master_and_Commander
    Posted on April 14, 2012 at 11:08pm

    I’ll wait for more details before I rush to judgment on this one…

    Report Post »  
    • TXPilot
      Posted on April 14, 2012 at 11:11pm

      I remember the crazy old days, when we used to actually make shoes and many other products in this country….

      Report Post » TXPilot  
    • CatB
      Posted on April 14, 2012 at 11:17pm

      Who do they think they are …. NIKE?

      Report Post »  
    • USAMEDIC3008
      Posted on April 14, 2012 at 11:20pm

      I have seen one of the reebok Factories in Vietnam
      A black man on a cotton farm in 1860
      wouldnt trade jobs with someone working there
      a pair of shoes made there cost about 2.oo$\to make
      would sell for over 200.oo $ here .
      I try real hard to buy Made in US

      Report Post » USAMEDIC3008  
  • taxpro4u03
    Posted on April 14, 2012 at 11:04pm

    Aren’t free trade agreements WONDERFUL? — U can BET on conditions of their employment as alleged — Let us NOT forget those kewel iPads/Pods/phones/teleprompters etc {Apple products, all} have a known HISTORY of ‘slave labor’ conditions for mfg – It benefits capitalism (not opposed to capitalism — opposed to CRONY capitalism i.e. those same corps bought and paid for legislation to regulate the CRAP out of America, preach ‘conditions, environmental harm etc and offshore the mfg base using the exact same thing they opposed – ‘capitalism.‘ Am waiting to see if civil liberties litigation replaces the mfg ’job‘ base with the OWS’rs — seems to work at the civil rights (OJ trial etc)/wall street/politician/ceo ‘crook’ levels….

    Report Post »  

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