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Page 7 of 8 Let’s Clean Up FashionWe continue to call on all companies to take the following steps. Wages:- Develop strategies to improve wages, above and beyond minimum wages, in their supplier base.
- Engage in good-faith negotiations with factories to ensure that a living wage can be paid out of prices paid to the factory. Accept that this may increase the cost they pay to suppliers.
- Make it clear to suppliers that they expect workers to be paid a living wage.
- Make it clear to suppliers that negotiating wages via a functioning collective bargaining agreement will not come at the expense of their custom.
- Ensure that local trade unions, who are better placed to get information from workers, and know the local cost of living, are involved in supplier audits.
- Work with other companies, trade unions and governments on a national and industry-wide level to develop strategies to raise wages, through active participation in a multi-stakeholder initiative.
Freedom of Association:- Make it clear to suppliers that they must not prevent workers from organising.
- Through local labour rights organisations and trade unions, ensure that workers and management are educated about freedom of association and workers’ rights.
- Ensure that local trade unions, who are better placed to judge what conditions are like, are involved in supplier audits.
- Make it clear to suppliers that a functioning, effective collective bargaining agreement will count in their favour, not against it.
- Where applicable, lobby governments to permit and protect freedom of association by law, and in the meantime take steps to find alternative means by which workers can organise.
Monitoring and verification:- Put in place a system of regular, unannounced audits, for all their suppliers.
- Involve comprehensive worker interviews in these audits, as well as local trade unions and NGOs.
- Ensure that supplier managements implement the necessary corrective measures when audits show up problems.
- Put in place complaints mechanisms so workers can raise concerns at other times.
- Take a pro-active approach to freedom of association, including setting up worker training by local trade unions and NGOs.
- Disclose their factory lists publicly or to global union federations, and negotiate access or neutrality agreements with trade unions.
- Work collaboratively with factory managements to raise standards, and create incentives for improved working conditions.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 14 September 2007 )
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