German Sportswear Manufacturers Under Fire

Oxfam and the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions have accused sports brands of violating workers' rights in their rush to get goods into the shops before the Olympic Games in Athens in August. According to the "Play Fair" report, companies, including Puma and Adidas, are exploiting employees as sweatshop labor, denying them basic rights and forcing them into working longer hours. Reuters news agency reports that Puma has told the campaigners it will be researching the study's findings, but has also pointed out that "we are initially skeptical of your findings relating to our sourcing activities", and adds that it established a code of contact on labor issue in 1993. Adidas has also stressed that its suppliers comply with international labor standards. The campaign groups have asked the International Olympic Committee to introduce tougher codes of conduct for companies making Olympic-affiliated products