Prosecution - Jeff Ballinger Side

Prosecution / Jeff Ballinger side:

–      What charges have Jeff Ballinger and others levied against Nike? Or

–      What is Jeff Ballinger claiming? & What is the evidence for each charge

1. While the government employed 700 labor inspectors, Ballinger found that out of 17,000 violations reported in 1988, only 12 prosecutions were ever made.  Bribery took care of the rest.  Nike contractors, in particular, he believed, were regularly flouting Indonesian labor laws and paying below-subsistence wages that did not enable workers to meet their daily requirements for food and other necessities
2. In July, Life magazine ran a story about child labor in Pakistan, and published a photo of a 12 year old boy stitching a Nike soccer ball
3. It was about child labor, or slave labor, or workers who toiled in unsafe or inhumane environments.

Defense / Phil Knight & Nike side:

–      You’re Phil Knight. How would you respond to these allegations

1. Nike cannot be made accountable for the actions of independent contractors.
2. We provide jobs for the children who would not be able to maintain their families or themselves without it. We provide these children with the opportunity to help their families but we do not force them to work, it’s their decision.
3. We are not responsible for the working conditions provided by independent contractors and we do not force anybody to work for us. They know how much they are going to get paid and they choose to work there also knowing the horrible conditions.