Stick the boot into Adidas with Footlocker flashmob
Article published: Saturday, April 20th 2013
Adidas is facing protests after offering sacked workers in Indonesia food vouchers worth £35 each rather than cough up $1.8 million in owed redundancy pay.
Campaigners are to raise awareness and put pressure on the sportswear giant’s retailers by gathering outside Footlocker on Manchester’s Market Street tomorrow, Sunday 21 April from 11am.
Shoppers will be offered food vouchers and free vegetables to “use” for payment for Adidas brand goods in a day of action targeted at consumers in the UK, Europe and US.
The campaign began two years ago when 2,800 workers lost their jobs when one of the multinational company’s suppliers, a PT Kizone factory in Indonesia, shut its doors in April 2011.
Adidas has refused to pay its share of redundancy pay, instead offering to donate food vouchers in a move denounced as insulting by ex-workers at the factory and labour activists.
In a video statement regarding the deal, former PT Kizone employee Entis Sutisna said, “I reject the offer of a voucher for Rp 300,000 from Adidas. These vouchers will not cover our debts, because since PT Kizone closed we have had no income and no work.
“I, as a former Kizone worker and as a representative of my fellow workers, state that we demand US$1.8 million as our severance. Food vouchers is not what we want.”
Matt Franklin from People and Planet, the student campaign group organising tomorrow’s action, said “despite claiming to value integrity and community, Footlocker are pushing products for Adidas, a company currently under fire for labour rights abuses.
“Adidas are happy to spend £100 million sponsoring the Olympics, yet they refuse to contribute a fraction of this amount to their former Indonesian workers.
“In line with their community rhetoric, we are calling on Footlocker to sever ties with Adidas, until Adidas resolve the issue of unpaid redundancy amongst workers who made their products.”
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