Oxfam criticises sportswear companies

Oxfam has released a report criticising some of the world's major sportswear companies ahead of this summer's football World Cup. The report, called Offside, says the mainly female workers in Asian countries are often intimidated or assaulted if they ask for better conditions, AFP reported. The report gives a league table of 12 manufacturers, ranked on their labour practices. Oxfam said none met minimum requirements. "They would all receive a red card if they were on the field," report co-author Tim Connor told the news agency. "In fact, if there was a World Cup for companies that respect labour rights, the sports brands would not even get through the qualifying rounds." Connor said the wages the workers received were often not enough to cover basic needs, and many people worked 16-hour shifts to supplement their income. The report ranked Reebok as the best producer for labour issues in Asia, and said others, such as Nike, Adidas and Puma, had made improvements. It said others had shown an interest in working conditions but failed to provide evidence of taking action to stop sweatshops.