Workers' complaints

30% report being bullied and sexually molested Salaries above minimum wage but "not enough to meet rising cost of living" Between 60% and 90% find it difficult to get medical care or sick leave at factory clinics

A report funded by Nike found workers at the nine factories studied were bullied, forced to work overtime and had limited access to health care.

Workers reported that some of them were punished for being late by being made to clean toilets or run around factory grounds.

Indonesia workers get as little as $1 a day for making Nike products

There were also reports of workers being coerced into sex and assembly-line workers being fondled by managers.

About 85% of workers in Nike's 25 contract factories in Indonesia are young women of an average age of 23 years.

Nike has said it would immediately begin remedial action to improve conditions.

Many of the results are disturbing, but that's exactly what we wanted to find out

Nike spokesperson Maria Eitel

Spokeswoman Maria Eitel said the company would provide special training for managers and hire monitors to ensure pay and sick leave rules were followed.

"Of course, many of the results are disturbing, but that's exactly what we wanted to find out," she said.

Thousands interviewed

In the past, Nike has been widely attacked for the working conditions at its overseas factories, which some critics have described as sweat shops.

Nike has contracts with about 700 factories worldwide

More than 4,000 workers were interviewed for the report by researchers from the Global Alliance for Workers and Communities - a group based in Washington DC made up of private and non-profit organisations, including Nike.

Rick Little, chairman of the Alliance's operating council, called the allegations "very troubling".

The alliance lamented the "deeply disturbing" reported incidents of sexual favours being demanded by bosses.

Nike has come under fire for working conditions at its factories

It also said that in several cases, workers reported collapsing before their supervisors would grant access to a factory clinic.

Other cases allege that the deaths of two workers were related to the denial of medication.

But Mr Little stressed that Nike "acted in good faith throughout the assessment process, and has developed a serious and reasonable remediation plan to respond to the findings".

Nike is a member of the Fair Labor Association and pays $100,000 annually in dues.

The company has reported strong profits from its Asia-Pacific region - for last year's second quarter ending 19 December, revenues grew to $292 million, a 20% increase over the same period a year earlier.