( CNN ) -- Workers have walked off the job at one of the world 's largest shoe factories , leading apparel maker Adidas to temporarily shift its production . As many as 50,000 employees are on strike at Yue Yuen Industrial , a major Adidas and Nike supplier in the southern Chinese city of Dongguan . Activists say it 's one of China 's largest worker strikes ever . `` This is a result of the long-term exploitation of this big enterprise , '' said Suki Chung , the executive director of Hong Kong nonprofit Labor Action China . `` Workers ' demands are very clear . '' Strikers say that they are not being paid the full amount of social insurance and housing benefits owed to them . Additionally , they say their work contracts are fraudulent , preventing them from enrolling their children in local schools . The factory offered last weekend to recalculate its social insurance and housing benefit payments to workers , but did not offer new contracts . The strikers refused the offer . Adidas responds . Adidas spokeswoman Katja Schreiber said the company was moving some of its future orders from Yue Yuen Dongguan to its other suppliers . `` At the same time , we 'd like to point out that we are not pulling out of the Yue Yuen factory in Dongguan and we have no plans to do so , '' she said . Nike spokesman Greg Rossiter said the company was in touch with factory management , but did not say whether the company would move production to other facilities . Teresa Cheng , an organizer with the International Union League for Brand Responsibility , slammed Adidas for moving some of its orders . `` This is the typical behavior of Adidas , '' she said . `` Adidas systematically withdraws its orders and moves them to factories with more exploitative conditions , essentially punishing workers who dare to stand up to sweatshop abuse . '' To support strikers at Yue Yuen , Cheng 's group has organized protests at Adidas and Nike stores in Tapei , Hong Kong , Istanbul , Los Angeles , New York City , and Melbourne . China 's massive manufacturing sector has slowed in recent months , and many companies have shifted production to China 's inland provinces or countries with cheaper labor . According to Suki Chung , workers in southern China are now worried about long-term job security , leading them to ask for more than just higher wages . `` Workers are in a very insecure position , '' she said . `` They are paranoid they will lose their jobs . If they do n't fight at the moment , the factory could be gone very soon . '' Activist detained . Zhang Zhiru , a labor rights activist who aided the strike and advised workers , was detained by state security agents Tuesday for two days . `` They took my phone and did n't allow me to contact anyone , '' he said . `` I think they released me because of outside pressure , saying it was illegal for them to detain me . '' Despite the incident , Zhang vowed to press on . `` I prepared myself to face these sorts of things when I decided to protect the rights of the public , '' he said . `` If the workers ask me for help again , I will still help them . '' CNN Beijing interns Qi Zhang and Lucrieza Su contributed reporting .
As many as 500 workers are striking at major Adidas and Nike factory . Nike is moving future orders to other suppliers in response to strike . Workers are in other , Nike factories around the world .