CBC (Radio Canada) reports that the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE), Canada’s corporate misconduct watchdog, has gathered enough information to launch an investigation into allegations that Nike Canada Corp. (as well as a Canadian gold mining company called Dynasty Gold Corp.) is profiting from forced Uyghur labor in China. It is the first time CORE has launched an investigation since the Canadian government appointed Sheri Meyerhoffer to the role in April 2019. “These are very serious issues that have been brought to our attention,” Meyerhoffer said this week. “Canadian companies are expected to respect Canadian standards for human rights and environmental protection when they work outside of Canada.”
A coalition of 28 civil society organizations, including the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project, has filed more than two dozen complaints with Meyerhoffer’s office about forced labor practices, according to the CBC. The first complaint alleged that Nike Canada has supply relationships with six Chinese companies that use or benefit from Uyghur forced laborers, according to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI).
Last year, the United Nations concluded that China has committed “serious human rights violations” against Uighurs and other Muslim communities, particularly arbitrary detentions that could constitute crimes against humanity. The coalition argued that there is no evidence that the popular apparel company has taken concrete steps to ensure “beyond a reasonable doubt” that forced labor is not used in its supply chain. China has called the allegations of genocide “the lie of the century.”
The complainants claim that Nike Canada is the main customer of Qingdao Taekwang Shoes Co. Ltd, a factory that reportedly employs Uyghur workers who attend “vocational training” and “patriotic education” classes in the evenings. The garment company also reportedly has ties to five other companies accused of employing Uyghur forced laborers. Meyerhoffer’s office said it has made several unsuccessful attempts to contact Nike Canada since the summer of 2022. Earlier this year, parent company Nike Inc. declined the ombudsman’s request for a meeting, but sent a statement saying it is “committed to ethical and responsible manufacturing and we uphold international labor standards,” CBC quoted from the Ombudsman’s report. CORE said it will investigate Nike’s allegations through an independent fact-finding process but added that mediation is possible at any stage of the complaint process.
Bild: Kuzzat Altay on Unsplash
