Clean Clothes Campaign’s Post

Today is #InternationalMigrantsDay - a good time to remind Nike to pay 3,000 mostly Burmese migrant workers the wages they were cheated out of in their Thai factory more than four years ago ‼️ In the fashion industry, migrant workers are particularly vulnerable to workplace exploitation. In addition to low pay and long working hours, they often experience debt bondage, threats of violence and deportation, and face specific barriers to voicing and demanding their rights. Nike recognises this on its website but its words are at complete odds with its actions. Protecting migrant workers’ rights starts with paying the Hong Seng workers the over 800,000 USD they are legally owed. Yet instead of taking responsibility, Nike continues to commission reports and hire consultants to hide behind. Last week, yet another report, this time published by the Nike founded and funded Fair Labor Association, came to the outrageous conclusion that workers were not coerced into consenting to sign away their wages. Despite worker complaints to the Thai government and their other attempts at bravely fighting for their desperately needed wages during the pandemic, the FLA are backing up Nike’s claim that this is what free consent looks like. The report even denies that the factory reporting a Burmese migrant leader to the police because of his Facebook post speaking out against the wage theft scheme was retaliation, instead concluding it was the right thing to do?! Yet again, Nike refuses to believe its own workers and instead pours money into public excuses. The easier choice would just be paying the workers what they are owed. 📣 Call on Nike to #PayYourWorkers at https://lnkd.in/d4hXjHT

A recent report by the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) highlights a troubling rise in worker abuses in Myanmar's garment factories, with 156 cases reported between February 2022 and February 2023, up from 56 the previous year. 😳 Allegations primarily include wage theft, unfair dismissal, and forced overtime, reflecting a deteriorating situation for workers. 😔 Major retailers like H&M and Inditex have responded by cutting ties with Myanmar suppliers, raising concerns about the potential negative impact on garment workers who rely on these jobs. ✂️ Do you need to rethink your supply chain? We can help. #HumanRights #WorkerRights #GarmentIndustry #SustainableFashion #CorporateResponsibility

FLA and its stakeholders—including buyers and suppliers—are part of a global effort to improve workers’ compensation.    Since 2022, we’ve been working on a living wage pilot in Việt Nam that seeks to understand the complexities in buyer-supplier relationships in multi-buyer apparel and footwear factories ➕ improve purchasing and costing practices, wage transparency, and worker engagement.   Two factories and eight buyers are currently participating. When the pilot concludes later this year, we look forward to sharing findings, challenges, and best practices to support progress towards a #LivingWage.    This project is possible thanks to funding from the Initiative for Global Solidarity, implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, plus on-the-ground support from the Research Center for Employment Relations.   Learn more about the work we’re doing in Việt Nam:  https://lnkd.in/d2VPy_h8 

A recent report by the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) highlights a troubling rise in worker abuses in Myanmar's garment factories, with 156 cases reported between February 2022 and February 2023, up from 56 the previous year. 😳 Allegations primarily include wage theft, unfair dismissal, and forced overtime, reflecting a deteriorating situation for workers. 😔 Major retailers like H&M and Inditex have responded by cutting ties with Myanmar suppliers, raising concerns about the potential negative impact on garment workers who rely on these jobs. ✂️ Do you need to rethink your supply chain? We can help. #HumanRights #WorkerRights #GarmentIndustry #SustainableFashion #CorporateResponsibility

Fast fashion and forced labour. What are the connections and what can be done to drive stronger protections for labour rights globally? As Justine Nolan notes, one strategy Australia should consider is banning the import of products linked to forced labour. “We want [forced labour] goods turned back at the border. That would be an immediate signal that Australia is taking it seriously, and is a risk the import company couldn’t take as they’d lose masses of money,” she said. “Australia has a singular response with the act, requiring companies to report and assess modern slavery risks, but we need more than one solution.” Fuzz Kitto notes “The problem is if we don’t introduce a ban, we’ll get products redirected away from countries that do have forced labour bans”. Nicholas Bernhardt says it’s also time to consider penalties for businesses failing to comply with the Modern Slavery Act. You can read the article here:

Türkiye: Great step forward for workers at German shoe retailer, Deichmann, as they win substantial pay rises, benefits and bonuses in their first-ever collective agreement Mathias Bolton, Head of UNI Commerce, said: “This hard-won collective agreement marks a significant breakthrough for Deichmann workers in Türkiye. Their determination and resilience have paid off, proving that when workers stand together, they can overcome the odds – especially with the strength of global solidarity.” Under the collective agreement, which will be applied retrospectively from 1 July 2024 until 31 December 2026, all workers will get a pay rise of 8 per cent of the minimum wage in Türkiye in 2024, with further wage increases set for 2025 and 2026. Almost all retail workers in Türkiye are paid the minimum wage. Deichmann workers will also be paid a bonus of a monthly wage each year. Compensation for overtime work has been raised from 50 per cent to 60 per cent. Additionally, workers will now receive 1.5 times their daily pay for work on bank holidays, compared to the one additional daily pay currently mandated by law. All workers will enjoy an additional two days of annual leave, as well as extra leave in cases of marriage, death of a relative, natural disasters and moving home. Hakan Bozkurt, General Secretary of Turkish union, Tez-Koop-İş Sendikası said: “The benefits and pay rises secured in this agreement will make a real difference to workers’ lives. We extend our gratitude to UNI and ver.di for their support, which helped us achieve our first collective agreement with Deichmann. We will keep working with UNI to organize more retail workers, grow union power and expand collective bargaining in the commerce sector.” Find out more: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eBf5CPMb

Thousands of Woolworths New Zealand team members working in supermarkets will benefit from a new collective agreement ratified today, which includes minimum wage increases of 6.8% over the next two years. See the full story: https://hubs.ly/Q02_HTW10 #woolworthsnz #wageincrease #costofliving #employer #employee #newzealand #supermarket #fmcg #news #fmcgbiznz

Last week, I moderated a conversation around “living wages in garment supply chains” during Better Work’s Global Buyers Forum. It was a pleasure to hear from Patrick Belser, ILO’s Global Wage Expert, Michael Bride, PVH’s Senior Vice President, Corporate Responsibility, Global Affairs and Responsible Supply Chain, and Selcuk Buyukozer, Vice President of Environmental & Social Affairs at adidas.   The key take-aways:   1. There has been an increase in voluntary initiatives around living wages in garment supply chains in the past 5 years. More is expected in the coming years, driven by due diligence legislation requiring companies to pay “fair wages” in supply chains and growing investor interest. Multistakeholder initiatives on living wages for the garment industry include #FLA and #ACT.   2. Earlier in 2024, a decision by the International Labour Organization has opened the way for new work by the ILO to estimate and operationalize living wages and to engage with living wage initiatives.   3. PVH Corp. shared an example of how PVH and other apparel brands, in the context of ACT, has recently signed a legally binding agreement to support collective bargaining in Cambodia to improve wages and working conditions for garment, textile and footwear workers.   4. As a member of the Fair Labor Association (FLA), adidas has aligned its fair compensation approach and strategy with FLA Benchmarks and Fair Compensation Methodology.   5. Continued sourcing commitments to factories is an important part of the discussion, along with better demand forecasting by brands: both can help suppliers do better production planning and maintain a stable work force.   6. Half the countries around the world do not regularly update minimum wages. Incremental progression of "minimum wages" towards "living wages" that take into account workers’ needs and economic factors can create a level-playing field for the private sector – reducing the need for voluntary living wage initiatives.    Patrick Belser Michael Bride Selcuk Buyukozer Roopa Nair Amy Luinstra Sara Park Kidist Chala Conor Boyle Nabeera Rahman Raquel Scarpari  

📜 NEW REPORT ALERT: "Paying the Price for Fashion: Securing a Living Wage for Bangladesh’s Garment Workers" Swedwatch's new briefing reveals how garment workers remain trapped in an exploitative system that deprives them of the ability to meet their basic needs. Decades of activism and corporate pledges have yet to secure a so-called living wage – a fundamental human right – for these workers. 👉 Here's what you should know: 1️⃣ Garment workers still earn well below a living wage, with a current minimum wage significantly trailing behind the levels advocated by unions. Low pay forces workers to rely on excessive overtime. 2️⃣ The majority of interviewed workers reported having no savings, even after years of employment in the factories. Many find themselves trapped in a cycle of debt, struggling to afford food or other essential needs for their families. 3️⃣ Despite obvious occupational health and safety risks, workers revealed that they seldom take sick leave fearing a loss of income or the possibility of being laid off. 4️⃣ All of the above is worsened by the lack the bargaining power needed to secure better wages. Workers who try to organise often face intimidation, violence, or dismissal. 5️⃣ Likewise, unfair purchasing practices by global buyers exacerbate the problem. Global brands frequently pressure suppliers to lower prices and shorten production deadlines — a practice known as “price squeezing.” ⚒️ Here's what we recommend: ✅ Global brands should heighten their due diligence efforts by meaningfully engaging with garment workers, unions, and NGOs to address adverse impacts, adopting responsible purchasing practices to prevent wage suppression and ensure worker well-being. ✅ EU Member States should strengthen and effectively enforce the #CSDDD by aligning its implementation with the UNGPs and OECD Guidelines, including by imposing clear and strict obligations concerning responsible purchasing practices, and reversing the burden of proof so workers can seek justice. ✅ The European Commission should swiftly issue guidance for CSDDD implementation, clarifying how companies can adopt responsible purchasing practices that support living wages. Additionally, the Commission should evaluate options to curb unfair purchasing practices through complementary legislation and leverage the revision of the 2014 Public Procurement Directive to promote social and environmental sustainability across global value chains. Fair Trade Advocacy Office (FTAO) Nazma Akter European Coalition for Corporate Justice Clean Clothes Campaign Fair Action Fair Wear Foundation The Industry We Want IndustriALL Global Union IF Metall Global Living Wage Coalition