An investigation by BBC Sport has revealed that workers producing official football shirts for some of the world's biggest clubs are earning a basic wage of less than £1 an hour. The probe traced authentic replica shirts to two factories in Cambodia, Bowker Garment Factory and Trax Apparel, where working conditions were described as "grim".
Employees at these factories, which produce kits for clubs including Arsenal, Celtic, Liverpool, and Real Madrid, reported struggling to make ends meet while working on up to 700 items daily. Anonymous interviews, supported by documentary evidence, detailed factory temperatures exceeding 35C, verbal abuse for missed targets, and safety concerns regarding electrical equipment.
The Clean Clothes Campaign, a global workers' rights network, stated the findings painted a "very grim picture," noting these issues are common for garment workers worldwide. Adidas, a sportswear giant that supplies eight of the 20 Premier League teams and uses these factories as primary suppliers, affirmed its commitment to fair and safe working conditions, conducting approximately 1,200 factory audits annually.
Workers' payslips indicated basic monthly salaries of $210-$220 (£158-£166), which comply with local minimum-wage laws. However, employees expressed difficulty living on this amount, even with overtime and allowances bringing total monthly earnings to around $300 (£226). One worker highlighted that a single shirt can cost more than two weeks' salary for a factory employee.