What do companies like Nike do to ensure that labor rights are respected in their subcontractor factories?
Kwan: In Nike’s Code of Conduct, they say they respect the right to organize. In the past few years, Nike has told us that they would like to keep their promise and respect the right to organize in China. But they also say, “It is very sensitive. It is not allowed and we don’t want to do anything to violate the law, we can’t do anything. We are sorry.” So they wash their hands and shift responsibility to the Chinese government. Nike is very clever. We heard that they also told their Taiwanese partner, Yue Yuen, “No matter, help them to organize.” But this is manipulated by the factory management. Mostly, the trade union is composed of the management only and workers have no say in it. Besides, all of the unions have to affiliate with the All China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU). ACFTU is the only union allowed in China. It is controlled by the Communist Party and the government, so the workers have no right to independent organizing. Most of the Nike workers who we have asked wheth
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