Fashion Brands' Living Wage Commitments Fall Short of Expectations

An evaluation published by the Clean Clothes Campaign's Fashion Checker project revealed that global fashion brands' promises of a living wage for workers in their supply chains are not sufficiently reflected in practice.

Living Wage Report on Fashion Brands

The seventh evaluation of the Fashion Checker project within the Clean Clothes Campaign has been published. It was determined that out of 110 global fashion brands reviewed, only 4 percent reported concrete progress regarding a living wage. Meanwhile, the proportion of brands making public commitments remained at the 32 percent level.

Wage Gap in Turkey Draws Attention

In the section of the study covering Turkey, the widening gap between the earnings of those working in ready-made clothing production and the living wage required for basic needs was clearly visible. The earnings of workers in Turkey who participated in the research remained 66 percent below the calculated living wage level. Similar gaps were determined to be 74 percent in Pakistan, 73 percent in Bangladesh, and 63 percent in Serbia.

Lack of Transparency in the Supply Chain

Research results showed that progress in supply chain transparency is reflected in wage information to a limited extent. While 41 percent of the examined brands disclosed facility data, the percentage of those sharing wage levels in these facilities was only 3 percent. Benetton, Levi's, Adidas, Uniqlo, and H&M were among the brands receiving the lowest scores in the living wage evaluation.

Grievance Mechanisms and Calls

It was determined that 25 percent of the examined brands lack a public grievance mechanism through which workers can safely convey their problems. Fashion Checker Coordinator Aileen Robinson emphasized that brands must back their commitments with concrete steps toward wage increases, while the CCC called for the support of union demands.