JAKARTA (Reuters) - Giant sportswear companies have been accused of foul play ahead of football's World Cup finals in Germany next month by the international aid group Oxfam for their treatment of Asian factory workers. An Oxfam report found that Asian factory workers making the clothes, shoes and other apparel that will be showcased at the world's biggest sporting event have been sacked or threatened with violence when they have organised unions to lobby for better pay and conditions.

The report said an Indonesian factory supplying shoes for the world's top

footballers had recently sacked 30 workers who went on strike.

"The sacking of these workers sends a very worrying signal to sports brands

that it's acceptable to discriminate against union workers," said Kelly

Dent, author of the report titled "Offside! Labour rights and sportswear

production in Asia".

Most Indonesian workers interviewed by Oxfam earned 800,000 rupiahs (46

pounds) a month, discounting overtime pay and allowances.

A top of the line pair of football boots can cost over $200 (106 pounds).

Oxfam said an independent investigation in 2004 found employees at one

factory near the capital were forced to inhale melting rubber fumes during

their shift, and many workers operating glue machines had scars or fresh

burns on their hands.

In another factory in West Java, workers had to face daily abuse from their

managers, the report said.

"In the sewing department sexual harassment happens all the time and every

day. They call us animal names like 'pig', 'monkey' and 'donkey'," the Oxfam

report quoted a worker as saying.

Top sportswear brands often require Asian suppliers to agree to policies

supporting trade union rights, but sometimes the enforcement of those

regulations is erratic.

Anton Supit, from the Indonesian Employers' Association, told Reuters that

big sports firms have been tough on Indonesian suppliers and dismissed the

abuse claims as "nonsense".

"They can ditch the suppliers if we cannot follow existing laws, especially

on workers' rights," he said.

The report named 12 companies including Adidas, Fila and Umbro

Indonesia's president wants to revise a pro-worker employment law to create

a friendlier climate for private investors, which economists say the country

badly needs to fully recover from the Asian economic crisis of the late

1990s, which hit Indonesia especially hard.

Workers have been lobbying legislators and holding massive street rallies

trying to ensure that law, which among other benefits is generous on

severance payments for sacked workers, stays untouched.

The government so far has delayed sending the proposed amendments to the

parliament due to the popular opposition.