Levi Strauss & Co

Download Levi Strauss & Co's submission (pdf)

Responded to survey: yes

MSI involvement: no [what's this?]

Grade 0: Does not accept the principle of a living wage [what's this?]

Summary

The only company surveyed to explicitly say that it does not accept responsibility for workers' wages.

Position on living wages

"Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&CO.) believes in the principle that wages and benefits for a standard work week should be sufficient to meet workers’ basic needs and provide some discretionary income. Markets set wage rates. Where wages fail to keep workers above the poverty line, governments should set minimum wages consistent with the cost of living."

Work so far on living wages

None mentioned

Plans on living wages

None mentioned

Other significant information

Gave detailed information about grantmaking by the Levi Strauss Foundation to fund labour rights groups including worker organising, about its monitoring and verification procedures, and about 'sustainable implementation'.

Our comments

Levi Strauss has a lot to say (although it is still using the same examples it used two years ago). It thinks markets and governments should set wage rates, denying its own responsibility, and as such performs poorly in this report. It should be noted, however, that this disappointing written position is no different in practice to that of retailers that give lip service to the living wage concept but do nothing to put it into practice.

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