Investigators found Cambodians knocking out up to 700-a-day in 35C heat under threat of verbal abuse for missing targets while prices of genuine shirts explode
Workers are paid as little as 86p-an-hour to make official football shirts for some of the world’s biggest clubs. Investigators traced authentic replica shirts to two factories in Cambodia where conditions were described as ‘grim’. The BBC launched a probe in response to fans’ moans about the high price of genuine football shirts – with many turning to cheaper counterfeits instead.
Photos obtained from inside Bowker Garment Factory and Trax Apparel show kits being made for clubs including Arsenal, Liverpool, Celtic and Real Madrid.
Employees said they worked on up to 700-a-day and struggled to make ends meet. They claimed factory temperatures soared above 35C, they were verbally abused when targets were missed and had safety fears about electrical equipment.
The Clean Clothes Campaign – a global workers’ rights network – said it was a ‘very grim picture’.
Spokesman Emma Vogt said: “These are issues that many garment workers around the world face every day.”
Research published last year stated of a typical £85 shirt £37.45 went to the retailer, £16.25 to the manufacturer, £9.50 on marketing, £13.60 in VAT and just £8.50 covered fabric, sewing and shipping.
Shirt prices have increased rapidly over the past decade though industry experts argue advances in technology and expensive kit deals with elite clubs have contributed. According to the BBC, payslips from workers at the two Cambodian factories show them putting in six eight-hour shifts-a-week for up to £166-a-month – which equates to 86p an hour.
One Bowker worker said: “It’s hard to live with this amount.”
Another at Trax said: “I want international customers to hear that one shirt they buy costs more than two weeks’ salary for a worker.
“Every one of these shirts contains the sweat of Cambodian workers.”
In a photo taken inside Bowker a thermometer showed 35.2C and humidity of 57.6%.
Workers said they were shouted at if they did not meet their quotas.
One said they had received two electric shocks from an exposed wire.
Adidas does not own either factory but both are primary suppliers subject to its workplace standards.
The sportswear giant supplies eight of the 20 Premier League teams.
An Adidas spokesman told the BBC: “We have taken a variety of measures to ensure fair and safe working conditions for workers across our supply chain for more than 25 years.
“Through around 1,200 factory audits per year, we review and evaluate supplier conduct, work with suppliers to address issues and make improvements where necessary.”
Adidas said workers across its Cambodian suppliers were ‘usually paid considerably higher than the local minimum wage’.
Bowker did not respond to a request for comment.
Trax acknowledged ‘periods of elevated temperature’ inside its factory but said cooling systems were in place and insisted its approach ‘is not based on enforcing output targets’.
The average price of an adult replica Premier League shirt has risen by 50.7% over the past decade, helping fuel demand for counterfeits sold for as little as £12.
Many counterfeits originate from China.
Fans have been warned against buying fakes with police warning they can be ‘manufactured without regard for safety standards or workers’ rights’.
Trading Standards said ‘counterfeiters have no morals and no standards’.
None of the clubs named by the BBC responded to requests for comment.
Anna Bryher, from UK campaign group Labour Behind the Label, said: “Respect has got to be a baseline in sport.
“Clubs need to send a really strong message that they won’t put their name on a shirt if workers are not treated with respect.”