Nike Clothing Made in China

 Hung Wah and Hung Yip are Hong Kong-owned dual garment factories, employing 2000 to 2500 workers, 98 percent of whom are young women 16 to 32 years of age, who sew Nike and other brands, sportswear and children's clothing.  Most of the women are migrant workers from Sichuan and Hunan provinces.

Peak season hours:  At the factory 15 hours a day seven days a week, from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Monday - Saturday

(11:30 noon ñ 1 p.m., lunch break)

(5:30 p.m. ñ 6:30 p.m., supper break)

Sunday

The workers are at the factory 15 hours a day Monday through Saturday, while being paid for 12.5 hours.  On Sunday they work a 10-hour shift, while being paid for 8.5 hours.  This puts the women at the factory 100 hours a week, while being paid for 83.5 hours.

The women receive one day off per month, which is payday.  If very large orders come in, sometimes the women are forced to work right through the night.

Wages: 20 to 23 cents an hour; $16.68 to $19.46 for a seven day, 83.5 hour workweek; 12 cent bonus for overtime hours

During the peak season wages range from 600 to 700 rmb per month, or $72.29 US to $84.34 US, and $16.68 to $19.46 for the week.

The average peak season wage would be:  (This includes all overtime hours, bonuses, and overtime)

Overtime hours are paid at a premium of 12 cents an hour above the standard piece rate.

However, these wages are even lower than they appear since the workers must pay for their own food and are charged 35 rmb per month for their dorm space.  Twelve women share one small dorm room.  Usually the factories deduct these expenses from the worker's wages before they receive their pay.

Working Conditions:  12 workers to a Dorm Room; First Month's Wages illegally withheld; Fined 5‡ hour wages for being 5 minutes late; Never heard of Nike's Code of Conduct; No Union.

Management illegally withholds the worker's first month wages, so they only receive their first pay at the end of the second month.  The workers are also charged a 25 rmb deposit for their factory I.D. card, and must pay 90 rmb ($10.84) for their temporary residency and work permits.

The workers have no social security, health, pension, or unemployment insurance, which by law the company is mandated to participate and pay into.

The women are fined 10 rmb, or 5‡ hours' wages, for coming five minutes late to the factory.  A worker is fined 5 rmb for failure to wear their factory I.D. card.

No one had heard of any such thing as the Nike Code of Conduct.

The workers had no experience with independent unions, and of course, no union would be allowed at the Hung Wah and Hung Yip factories.

The workers biggest complaints were the lack of any leisure ñ working seven days a week ñ their being exhausted, and the very low wages.

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