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Workers at Adidas contractor complain over employment conditions
Workers at a local supplier for global sportswear brand Adidas claim their employment rights are routinely breached, raising concerns about an industry long accused of poor labor conditions.
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Shoemaking workers demand higher wages in a protest staged on June 19, 2023, the day of a friendly soccer match between Indonesia and World Cup winner Argentina. (Courtesy of Ismet Inoni/Ismet Inoni)
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orkers at a local supplier for global brand sportswear brand Adidas say their employment rights are routinely breached, raising concerns about an industry long accused of poor labor conditions.
The Jakarta Post looks behind the scenes to shed light on the less glamorous end of a supply chain for shoes marketed around the world by a marque embellished with Blackpink and Lionel Messi.
Employees of PT Panarub Industry seized the publicity of a soccer match between Indonesia and Argentina at Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on June 19 to stage a protest over work conditions at their factory.
Panarub Industry has been crafting Adidas sneakers in Indonesia since 1988. The company was established in 1968 and has also reportedly produced footwear for many other brands, including Lily, LA Gear and Mizuno.
Holding posters addressing Adidas, they demanded to be paid the income lost as their wages took a large cut during the COVID-19 pandemic. Panarub Industry slashed employee remuneration and conducted layoffs in response to the global economic downturn.
Ismet Inoni, who heads legal advocacy and mass campaigns at the Gabungan Serikat Buruh (GSBI) labor union, expressed little confidence when speaking to the Post on Aug. 10, saying the plight of shoemaking workers appeared unresolvable because the factory seemed “unconcerned”.
“We see that there’s currently no inclination on the part of Adidas to address the issue of workers' welfare. They can’t run away from problems that occur within their supplier, because Adidas gets a lot of profit from their supplier,” Ismet said.
