2-k shoe workers ask Adidas to increase orders from a BEZ firm

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    MARIVELES, Bataan – A different kind of storm is brewing at the only existing shoe factory in the Bataan Economic Zone in Mariveles with most of its 2,000 workers reportedly suffering since May this year for lack or insufficient orders from Adidas.

    Factory workers of SS Ventures International on Monday appealed to Adidas to give the factory enough orders that they claimed went down from more than 150,000 pairs of shoes to 4l,000 pairs monthly.

    With the reduction, more than half of the workers were placed on an on-call basis or forced leave effective May, 2009.

    “Please increase your order so we will have a steady work for the sake of our children especially this time that Christmas is nearing,” the workers pleaded to Adidas.

    SS Ventures International is a Korean firm that produces branded rubber shoes for exports at the Bataan Economic Zone, formerly Bataan Export Processing Zone, in Mariveles since 1995.

    The factory has been manufacturing Roebuck, Nike, Vans and other known brands of rubber shoes until it entered into marketing agreement with Adidas on March 2008 under the per order contract.

    It was learned that since then, the Korean company became the exclusive producer of Adidas in the Philippines. The shoes are for export to Japan, USA and Europe.

    Marites Amat, material controller of SSV, said more than half of her co-workers have been working on “rotation basis” for only 2-3 days a week after Adidas reduced its orders.

    “Ano na mangyayari sa suweldo ng dalawa hanggang tatlong araw sa isang linggo samantalang marami sa amin ay umuupa lamang ng bahay at nagpapaaral ng mga anak na ang marami nga ay hindi na napa-enrol,”  the workers said.

    Danilo de Guzman of the cutting and lamination department said before, they produce more than 150, 000 pairs of Adidas shoes every month but on May, 2009, the orders went down  to 41,000 pairs at the most and sometimes lower from only 7,000 – 14,000 pairs.

    Amat and de Guzman made it clear that they and the other workers understand the predicament of  the owners of SS Ventures. “We do not have problem with the company because they sympathized with us and do not want to lay us off but instead placed us under rotation basis,” they said.

    They also added they have talked with the Adidas representative assigned with SS Ventures who promised to bring to the attention of the Footwear Sourcing German manager in Hongkong  the workers’ dilemma. “Until now there is no action and the only reason we heard is that there is a global financial crisis,” the employees said.

    Amat, a 40-year old Bicolana, has been with the Korean firm for 11 years while de Guzman, 48 of Samal, Bataan, had worked for 14 years.

    The workers were wondering if the same situation exists in China, Vietnam and Indonesia where Adidas reportedly has contract factories like SS Ventures. “We hope Adidas will pity us and our families,” they said.


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