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When told that it is checked that workers should get at least the minimum wage set by the government, which they all do, she said that if they think this wage is enough they should all try to live on this amount for a month and decide if it is OK.” |
| H and M | | Print | |
Page 2 of 3 Detail on Workers RightsWagesH&M’s code of conduct does not commit to a living wage, stating instead that, “[w]ages should be paid regularly, on time and be fair in respect of work performance. The legal minimum wages should be a minimum, but not a recommended, level.” In 2006 we probed a little further, and were told that, “we presently focus our efforts on making certain that all employees at all supplier and subcontractor factories receive at least the legal minimum wage.” H&M therefore does not commit to a living wage in its code of conduct, although its acknowledgment that minimum wages are ‘not recommended’ does move it some way further than companies that consider minimum wages to be perfectly acceptable standards. Freedom of AssociationIn its 2007 response, H&M offered some more examples of worker and management training on freedom of association, in line with its statement that, “the right to freedom of association is meaningful only if both workers and management understand what the rights of workers are, and what benefits they offer.” None of these examples apparently involved local trade unions, which is surprising given this clear and unequivocal statement.Monitoring and verificationAs in 2006, H&M gave us the details of its audit programme, but not of collaboration with local stakeholders. As with many brands, H&M told us that,[r]ecently, the methods for follow-up have been our main focus. Apart from checking how the improvement work is proceeding, one of the main purposes of the follow-up process is to motivate suppliers to assume ownership of labour and environment issues. Our conclusionOur conclusion is the same as last year. H&M’s responses suggest that, while it may have made a good start, the lack of incorporation of local stakeholders into its processes leaves a lot to be desired. It is also concerning that it does not support a living wage. |
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| Last Updated ( Thursday, 13 September 2007 ) | |||||
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