Living Wage Benchmarks ASIA FLOOR WAGE Global Living Wage Coalition - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Living Wage Benchmarks ASIA FLOOR WAGE Global Living Wage Coalition

What & Why ? To examine the impact of low wages on the wellbeing of garment workers and their families. • To assist in making a case in sourcing countries and in Australia, for decent work and living wages for garment workers. • Better understand the depth and complexity of interconnected issues.

How ? Research methodology and tools Pilot Validation workshop Interviews, FGDs, Case Studies Data validation and analysis Validation workshops Draft reports and feedback Final reports

Who ? Respondent Bangladesh Vietnam Factories 48 6 Workers 384 88 Supervisors 16 14 Owners and Managers 24 5 FGD 16 6 Trade unions/CSO/ 10 48 Experts/ Gov. officials Bangladesh Vietnam 15% IWTU 37.50 % 62.50 75% % Male Female Male Female

Health

Education and family

Generations of garment workers

Child separation

Sourcing Practices • Aggressive price negotiation • Reducing lead time and imposing fines • Lack of long-term commitments • Lack of coordination

What are we asking • Be transparent • Allow workers to organise • Make a credible commitment to living wages. - Publish timeframe to achieve key milestones • Develop and publish a living wage roadmap • Implement, monitor and report progress.

ASX ASX Listed Companies: • Wesfarmers (Kmart, Target) • Woolworths Group Limited (Big W) • Premier Investments Limited (Just Jeans, Peter Alexander, Jacqui E, Portmans) • Myer Holdings Limited (Myer) • City Chic Collective Limited (City Chic) • Noni B Limited (Noni B, Rivers, Katies, Millers) o Pretty Girl Fashions (Rockmans) No Non ASX Listed Co Companies: • Best & Less (incl. Harris Scarfe), • Hanes Australasia Limited (Bonds, Berlei, Explorers, Hestia, Voodoo) • Cotton On • Country Road • David Jones • Factory X (Gorman, Dangerfield) • ADT Group Holdings Pty (Forever New) • H&M • Zara • Glorious Sun Group (Jeanswest)

‘Insider’ Strategies • Keep the brands informed about the research and campaign activities; • One to one meetings to explain the asks; • Provide examples of good practices; • Sharing findings and executive summary well ahead of time; • Workshop with brands to discuss key findings and asks • Opportunity to respond

Progress made by the brands Insider Strategies Kmart, Target and Cotton On : • Keep the brands informed about the • Joined Action Collaboration and Transformation • Published a strong commitment and timeframe towards improving purchasing research and campaign activities; practices • One to one meetings to explain the asks; City Chic : • 80% of workers are currently paid a living wage • Provide examples of good practices; • Committed to ensure payment of living wages by 2020 • Sharing findings and executive summary H&M: • Joined Action Collaboration and Transformation well ahead of time; • Published a strong commitment and reported progress on wage management practices and democratically-elected worker representation. • Workshop with brands to discuss key Big W, David Jones, Factory X, Forever New, Zara : findings and asks Some progress Best & Less, Bonds, Country Road, Jeanswest, Just Group, Myer, Noni B : No or limited progress

What To watch out FOR • Is the brands’ suppliers list publicly available • Does the brand have a clear public commitment to living wages • Has the brand published a timeframe to achieve key milestones • Have they developed and published a living wage roadmap • Have they published sourcing policies to safeguard workers from exploitation • How many suppliers have a Collective Bargaining Agreement and trade union • How independent is the grievance mechanism • What is the human rights due diligence process • Are they compliant with the Modern Slavery Act • What different collaborative initiatives are they engaged in • How often the company reports verifiable progress

What’s next ? • Engage with brands • Engage with investors • Keep supporters/consumers involved • Collaborate with other organisations • Deeper dive into sourcing practices

whatshemakes.oxfam.org.au/resources/

Contact: Nayeem: nayeeme@oxfam.org.au Sarah: sarahdr@oxfam.org.au

Questions?