National Labor Committee report about labor abuses at Chi Fung factory in El Salvador, company responses

In February 2010, the National Labor Committee issued the following report alleging labor abuses at Chi Fung factory in El Salvador:

“NFL and Reebok Fumble. Women Paid 10 Cents to Sew $80 NFL Peyton Manning Jerseys. Forced overtime, cheated of wages, constant harassment, trapped in abject poverty in a Salvadoran sweatshop”, 4 Feb 2010

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited Chi Fung factory, Reebok [part of adidas] and the National Football League (NFL) to respond.

Initial responses

- Chi Fung response [DOC], 12 Feb 2010

Chi Fung also provided:
- Severance pay receipt of Jose Roberto Campos Mejia [JPEG] (in Spanish only) 
- Labour ministry certification of money received by former Chi-Fung worker Jose Roberto Campo Mejia  [JPEG] (in Spanish only)
- Receipt signed by Jose Roberto Campos Mejia [JPEG] (in Spanish only)
- Health & Safety, discrimination, and other labour policies of Chi-Fung [JPEG] (in Spanish only)

- adidas response [PDF], 15 Feb 2010

- National Football League response [DOC], 17 Feb 2010

NLC rejoinder and company responess

National Labor Committee then issued a rejoinder to the companies' statements, additionally naming Soffe (part of Delta Apparel) as a buyer from Chi Fung: "National Labor Committee Response to Chi Fung Garment Factory, Producing for Reebok/NFL, Adidas and Soffee", 8 Mar 2010.

We invited the companies to comment on this statement; adidas Group and Soffe submitted these response:

- adidas response [DOC] 16 Mar 2010

- Soffe response [PDF] 17 Mar 2010

NLC update and company responses

On 4 May National Labor Committee issued an "alert" on the situation at Chi Fung, “Reebok Investigation Confirms Violations at Salvadoran Factory Where NFL Jerseys were Sewn”.  Adidas, NFL and Soffe each sent the Resource Centre responses to the alert:

- adidas response [DOC]  17 May 2010

- NFL response [DOC]  18 May 2010

- Soffe response [DOC] 18 May 2010