Nike Hit By Child Labour Ball Row

Nike has been hit by a child labour row over the way it manufactures the balls
used in FA Premier League matches.

The sports goods giant has sacked its incumbent ball manufacturing supplier,
Pakistani firm Saga Sports, after it was discovered some of balls may have been
stitched by children in their homes.

Nike announced that it had terminated its agreement with Saga over
‘significant labour compliance violations’ after a six-month investigation had
concluded that the firm was outsourcing many of the balls to casual workers who
sew them together in their homes around the city of Sialkot, near the Indian
border.

Nike and the FA Premier League now face a race against time to ensure that
the clubs do not run out of ball supplies as the sportswear giant rushes to move
its production to factories in China.

Nike’s deal with the FA Premier League initially began in 2000 after the firm
took over the contract from previous supplier Mitre in a three-year deal
estimated to be worth close to £10m.

In a statement the FA Premier League fully supported Nike’s decision, a
league spokesman commenting: ‘We can only support Nike in taking action where
they’ve found their standards of labour have been violated.’

It is unclear however as to whether the league would look for compensation
payments should the switch of factories result in a shortage of balls in the
short-term.