A Nike football stands in front of you. Its white panels are neatly sewn together, with the familiar swoosh trademark printed proudly on it. You take it in your hands, you feel the smooth material and later you kick it around enthusiastically, marvelling at how the ball bounces perfectly each time the your boots come into contact with it.

Every day, brand names are driven into our minds whether we realise it or not. Watching David Beckham play, it would be impossible to ignore his Umbro jersey or Adidas boots. Kids as young as three recognise the Golden Arches of McDonald's while not even having the ability to read. The Malaysian sporting arena is filled with tobacco and alcohol brands, maliciously hiding behind what are supposed to be healthy activities.

Brands matter these days, especially among the youth. Advertisements have brainwashed our minds into modern-day quests of owning Dockers khakis, Adidas jerseys and Nike trainers. They imply that by owning the latest branded items, we would be happy and content. Those who differ from this culture find themselves less accepted by peers, thus even those who cannot afford a Nokia cellphone or a pair of Reef sandals would rather miss a few breakfasts to be proud owners of these items.

Blistered hands

Of course, some of these brands have become household names because the goods are of high standards and meet the tastes of the consumers. Sometimes, it's worth it to burn a hole in your pocket for good-quality items. But have we ever sat down and for a moment consider where the goods produced actually came from?

Whose hands suffered the blisters and scratches to sew the Nike football?

Do we place any importance on where our money goes? Do we take an interest in the conditions of the workplace of the individuals who actually make the goods? Or do we close one eye on whether the process of producing the items conform to acceptable environmental and labour regulations?

"You have to meet the quota before you can go home..."

"She hit all 15 team leaders in turn from the first one to the 15th..."

"The physical pain didn't last long, but the pain I feel in my heart will never disappear..."

Those are the words of Thuy and Lap, female workers of a Nike plant in Vietnam, in a CBS interview in 1996. In an effort to emerge victors in the competitive market, brands such as Nike, Reebok and Guess scramble across various Third World countries such as Pakistan, China, Indonesia and Vietnam to manufacture their goods.

Every economics student knows the need to minimise cost in order to maximise profits. With high wages as well as numerous environmental and labour regulations governing the manufacturing sector in industrialised countries, the firms exploit the almost non-existent and poorly enforced laws of developing nations to build their factories. The mass-produced items are licensed to be manufactured by local firms and later the products are exported throughout the world. Women comprise most of the work force.

Sweatshops in China

China, the largest remaining 'communist' nation has ironically become a haven for these multinational capitalists because she gives little protection for workers and the environment. Whatever few regulations left are ignored through bribery and the ignorance of the bureaucrats.

A report filed by the Asia Monitor Resource Centre and Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee stated that, for example, in the Nority Shoe Factory, a Reebok subcontractor, they force their workers to work 72 hours a week, far surpassing the 44 hours limit set by Chinese law or Reebok's Code of Conduct.

Those who do not obey would be fined 60-80 Rmb (RM32). The factory also ignores legal minimum wage. Housing and food are provided but paid by the workers themselves. Twelve of them were stuffed together in a small room and share a shower. Although provided with allowance to go home and see their family, this is only allowed once a year. After deducting their pay through fines, food and housing, the workers receive around 500-600 Rmb (RM275) a month.

The working conditions are absolutely terrible. Dust, noise, sound, heat and fumes plague the workers. Talking is strictly prohibited. Leaving the security premises means being beaten up. Most security and safety regulations are not followed. Workers are fired for refusing to work overtime, or even for being pregnant.

Furthermore, most of the workers are not even aware of Reebok's Code of Conduct. Half of them are not aware of the existence of their own trade union, thus depriving them of the collective power to negotiate for better work conditions and better pay.

Capatalism's ugly side

This is not an isolated incident. The terrible exploitation of workers by multinationals or their licensees exists all over the world. Their factories resemble the ugly sweatshops of Britain during the Industrial Revolution, which gave rise to socialism. Third World countries are often forced to provide the most minimal laws regarding the environment and workers' rights as a result of globalisation. In search of foreign capital, they attempt to make their country as free as possible from regulation to make it attractive for multinationals. The moment they introduce minimum wage, child labour laws and enforce other measures, these firms will leave the country and invest elsewhere.

While the West are proudly announcing the victory of capitalism over socialism after the Cold War ended, and an increasing number of countries are joining the Word Trade Organisation and liberalising their economy, they should stop for a moment to look at the ugly side of capitalism.

Consumer power

All the multinationals such as Nike are reaping profits and forever expanding their market share because they offer cheap mass-produced items at the cost of their workers and also our environment. We respond to their aggressive advertising by pouring our money into their coffers.

This is not inevitable. It can be stopped. We can play a role.

In a free market, the consumer wields the power.

Thus the next time you stop at a departmental store to buy a pair of Dockers, look at the tiny and beautiful stitches. Ponder for a moment, the hands that sew them. Take an interest in finding out how that pair of khakis was made. Take your conscience shopping.

Consumer power is not a myth. In the Middle East, in response to the increased violence by the Israelis towards the Arabs, a religious decree, a fatwa , by an esteemed Islamic scholar has resulted in big losses for American and Israeli firms such as McDonald's and Marks and Spencer.

Multinationals portray themselves with a human face in developed countries as a result of pressure from the consumers. Nevertheless, in Third World countries they are hypocrites to their own pledges and codes.

It's obviously impossible to totally boycott products that are produced from exploitation or firms that support war and violence, but it does not hurt to try. At least we can have some sense of fairness in the system called laissez-faire .

NIK NAZMI NIK AHMAD, a 19-year-old student at a private college, is a student activist and has a keen interest in current affairs.