Nike - high quality clothing, low quality ethics?

Nike has been accused over the years for the exploitation of its factory workers overseas and for endorsing child labour. Nike had factories in places such as South Korea and Taiwan but moved out because workers wanted higher wages which were above poverty level wages. Therefore they relocated to countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan and Indonesia to save money.

Recently factory workers in Honduras claim that when Nike shut down two manufacturing plants in January 2009, the employees were denied severance pay totaling more than $2.5 million.

Children in Vietnam are making Nike shoes worth £70 and only being payed 12p an hour. Nike makes billions yet still pays employees peanuts in comparison to what they make in earnings. Image is everything to Nike. They spend an estimated $280 million a year on celebrity endorsement. They have had people such Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan to endorse their brand in the past.

Clearly child labour is not right, however despite these facts about how Nike has treated its workers, does it still deter you from purchasing their products and can anything really be done to help eradicate the exploitation of workers?