Thousands
of workers have gone on strike at a Vietnamese plant that makes shoes for Nike,
demanding higher pay.
Workers
who produce about 10% of the 75 million pairs of shoes made for Nike in Vietnam
annually want more pay, bonuses, and cost of living allowances.
Strikes
have become more common in Vietnam,
as inflation—now at 9.5 percent—has risen. The average monthly salary at the
South Korean-owned plant is $62, about 20% more than the minimum wage.
The
plant in Dong Nai, near Ho Chi Minh
City, employs some 14,000 people.
Nike
is aware of the strike and is encouraging workers and management to resolve
their differences, said a spokesman for Nike U.K. It is not clear how long the
strike will continue for.