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Learning English - Words in the News 15 April, 2005 - Published 12:32 GMT Nike openness | ||||||||||||
The sports goods manufacturer Nike has published the names and addresses of the factories that make goods for it. The move comes as campaigners demand more openness so conditions can be examined. This report from Steve Evans: Nike lists a hundred-and-twenty-four plants making its goods in China, among seven-hundred around the world, many of them in dirt poor countries. It also documents inspections of five-hundred-and-sixty-nine factories working for it, in some of which it found evidence of physical and verbal abuse. The company follows the Gap clothing chain in deciding that rather than washing its hands of conditions in its supplier factories, it will monitor them. Campaigners against sweatshops hope the change by a market leader by Nike will now persuade others to do the same. A dilemma exists for companies though. Third World costs and standards make profitable First World sales. Nike and Gap discovered though the hard way that bad publicity also has a cost. Steve Evans, BBC, New York dirt poor documents abuse clothing chain washing its hands of supplier monitor sweatshops dilemma the hard way |
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