Fans must unite to end football shirt scandal

I was truly appalled to read your story last week about the plight of factory workers in Cambodia making the overpriced Adidas shirts for Manchester United. The club’s brand sponsor Chevrolet should intervene in order to help these women to attain a better work-life balance, not to mention increase their pay.

It is beyond belief that these women are paid £31 a week to make the shirts, while United’s star player, Alexis Sanchez, is on £450,000-a-week.

Perhaps Sanchez should take some time out of his schedule to visit these women himself and understand their plight.

It is time that the club’s fans – and its players – hit back and showed solidarity with these women. Veronica Chambers, Moss Side, Manchester The worst thing about your Manchester United shirt story is that the only motive for these workers in Cambodia being paid so little is pure greed. United or Adidas cannot use the excuse that ‘Well, if we’re not competitive, people will buy cheaper shirts and put us out of business.’ They have a captive market.

No one else can produce official Manchester United shirts, and a United fan isn’t going to buy, for instance, an Everton top just because it’s cheaper. James Benn, London Richard Arnold, United’s group managing director, has said: ‘This shirt from Adidas pays homage to the year we were founded, and marks 140 years of footballing success.’ He surely knows that the shirts cost £110 each.

He must also know that players like Alexis Sanchez earn £450,000 a week. He must also now be aware that the workers who make his shirts are paid 64p an hour, working in appalling conditions in Phnom Penh, under huge pressure to reach targets.

Does he care? I doubt it. Adam Burton, Corwen, Clwyd Your Comment article was right – that capitalism without conscience is the route to revolution. At every stage in history, when the elite are seen to be raking it in without giving enough back, there is trouble ahead. J. McLean, Manchester Anyone with nothing better to do with their money than spend £110 on a fancy red T-shirt deserves to be ripped off. Jane Grummitt, Shavington, Cheshire Can someone please explain to my 11-year-old grandson that he can still play great football in a Primark sports shirt, and buy four pairs of trainers for the cost of one of these United shirts. Heather Ward, Stretton, Derbyshire A £110 shirt? I would suggest getting a return flight to Istanbul and buy a fake – it’s much more fun and far cheaper. StJohn Cox, Taunton