Chinalco and Rio Tinto Acquire Controlling Stake in Brazil’s CBA for $903 Million 
Trump Plans UFC Event at White House for America’s 250th Anniversary 
Using the Economic Calendar to Reduce Surprise Driven Losses in Forex 
China Factory Activity Slips in January as Weak Demand Weighs on Growth Outlook 
JPMorgan Lifts Gold Price Forecast to $6,300 by End-2026 on Strong Central Bank and Investor Demand 
Gold Prices Stabilize in Asian Trade After Sharp Weekly Losses Amid Fed Uncertainty 
China Manufacturing PMI Slips Into Contraction in January as Weak Demand Pressures Economy 
LA28 Confirms Olympic Athletes Exempt from Trump’s Travel Ban 
Trump’s U.S. Open Visit Delays Final, Fans Face Long Security Lines 
Gold and Silver Prices Plunge as Trump Taps Kevin Warsh for Fed Chair 
What makes a good football coach? The reality behind the myths 
South Korea Exports Surge in January on AI Chip Demand, Marking Fastest Growth in 4.5 Years 
Panama Supreme Court Voids Hong Kong Firm’s Panama Canal Port Contracts Over Constitutional Violations 
Japan Election Poll Signals Landslide Win for Sanae Takaichi, Raising Fiscal Policy Concerns 
Philippines Manufacturing PMI Hits Nine-Month High Despite Weak Confidence Outlook 
IMF Forecasts Global Inflation Decline as Growth Remains Resilient 
The FIFA Women's World Cup is now underway, providing a significant opportunity for labor activists to advocate for garment workers' rights. Among them is Labour Behind the Label, a UK-based organization dedicated to labor rights in the global apparel industry. This week, they launched an impactful campaign urging renowned US soccer star Megan Rapinoe to pressure Nike, her sponsor, to compensate garment workers in Cambodia and Thailand fairly.
As part of this campaign, supporters are invited to send a pre-written letter addressed to Rapinoe and other prominent US soccer stars, including Tobin Heath, Christen Press, and Meghan Klingenberg. The message highlights the plight of two groups of workers who have been profoundly affected.
The first group comprises 1,284 former employees of the Violet Apparel factory in Cambodia. These workers were abruptly laid off without prior notice when the factory unexpectedly closed its doors in July 2020. Astonishingly, they were denied their legally-owed compensation totaling $1.4 million, leaving many to grapple with lingering debts from that period.
In Thailand, Labour Behind the Label sheds light on the predicament of over 3,000 employees at Nike supplier Hong Seng Knitting. During the pandemic, these workers were unjustly denied their furlough pay, which they were legally entitled to. The campaign alleges that the factory refused to provide the due payment and threatened the workers, who are now collectively owed $800,000.
Most of these garment workers are women who have relentlessly sought what Nike rightfully owes them for years. Despite having explored every possible avenue, Nike has unabashedly ignored their pleas and shirked responsibility, all while espousing women empowerment slogans in their advertisements.
Labour Behind the Label draws attention to Rapinoe and her teammates' ongoing fight for equal pay within the US Women's National Team. Notably, Nike celebrated the team's victory in the 2019 Women's World Cup four months after they sued the US Soccer Federation for pay discrimination. In this vein, Labour Behind the Label commends Rapinoe's advocacy for fair pay. It highlights the critical need for Nike to address the garment workers' struggle and ensure they receive their rightful compensation.
In its letter to Rapinoe, the organization asked Rapinoe to leverage her voice and influence by raising this urgent matter with Nike. She asked her to use her voice and share her power to ensure that garment workers are paid justly.
Photo: Travel Nomades/Unsplash
