Adidas Encourages Factory Workers To Anonymously Text Complaints

[Turborama]

Source: AP

By JUERGEN BAETZ 05/06/13 01:46 PM ET EDT

BERLIN — German sports gear maker Adidas said Monday it is encouraging workers in factories of some of its Asian suppliers to anonymously share possible grievances directly with the company via text message.

The new hotline service will help bridge the communication gap between management and workers, enabling employees to "simply send an SMS when they feel their rights are breached," Adidas AG said.

Adidas' efforts to improve control of labor conditions coincide with a renewed debate on working conditions at the suppliers of Western firms in the wake of deadly incidents in Bangladesh's garment industry, where a factory building collapse last month has claimed at least 645 lives.

Adidas, which also owns the Reebok brand, said its SMS initiative was successfully tested since last year at an Indonesian supplier's factory and will now be rolled out to four other plants in that country and one in Vietnam.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/06/adidas-factory-workers-text-message-complaints_n_3223412.html

[sakabatou]

1. This is a good move by Adidas

[awoke_in_2003]

2. New Balance...

shoes made in the US, made with minimum 70% domestic products.

[Turborama]

3. New Balance manufactures a quarter of its sportswear products in the US.

Watchdog groups have expressed concerns over New Balance contractors in China. At one Chinese factory that is a major supplier for New Balance, workers were subjected to physical and verbal abuse, discrimination based on gender, age, height and the province they hailed from, long work hours, denial of legally required benefits, and routine 10 hour shifts, six days a week.

http://www.greenamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=270

[uncle ray]

4. i'd bet even less are American made since that was published.

i try to buy American made new balance shoes whenever i can, fewer and fewer shoe stores are stocking them, the last pair i bought about a month ago i had to buy off the internet, and the price is skyrocketing as well. what really rubbed me was the "buy American" retailer i bought them from had the worst service and would not even respond to my email asking where my shoes were after two weeks.