Living wage news and archive

Next requests shareholders vote against resolution calling to disclose employee wages

Next has called on its shareholders to vote against a resolution requesting for the British fashion retailer to disclose how it pays employees to address concerns over employee wages. A group of investors is hoping Next will increase its transparency and improve conditions for shop floor workers by revealing how many of its 40,000 staff are paid...

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11th Fashion Revolution Week announces theme ‘Think Globally, Act Locally’

This year’s Fashion Revolution Week will take place from 22nd to 27th of April. The theme, ‘Think Globally, Act Locally’, which was just announced today, hopes to empower citizens to engage local communities and policymakers to “help build a fairer, cleaner and safer fashion industry”. The event is organised by the world's largest fashion...

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Living wage report finds “limited progress" among garment and footwear companies

The 2023-2024 Annual Report from the Platform Living Wage Financials (PLWF) has taken a look at progress when it comes to living wages and incomes in the garment and footwear sector. Thirty-three companies were assessed, among them Adidas, Asics, Esprit, Fast Retailing, H&M, Hugo Boss, Inditex, Kering, LVMH, Marks & Spencer, Nike, Primark, Puma...

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New report suggests 33 sustainable targets for a just fashion system

Industry watchdog Public Eye proposes 33 concrete targets for a just fashion system in its new report “One-Earth Fashion”. It highlights the fact that while the Earth is facing a climate emergency, the fashion system is simply adding fuel to the fire. “This leaves us in a situation where small, positive steps – for example, reducing plastics in...

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Who makes our clothes? Fashion Production Explained

Ever wondered who actually makes your clothes and how fashion's supply chain impacts workers' lives? This deep dive unpacks how fashion production works and explores what’s needed for meaningful change in the industry. FashionUnited interviewed Kim van der Weerd, a former factory manager with a background in human rights, who advocates for a...

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Why is it so hard to enforce a living wage?

In Germany, trade union Verdi is calling for a minimum wage of 13.50 euros (about 14.60 US dollars/11.50 British pounds) per hour in the retail sector - figures that garment workers in the Global South can only dream of. Why is it so difficult to introduce living wages in the textile industry and how could this be achieved? Marian von Rappard...

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The UK retailers making ‘record’ investments to raise staff pay

In a retail landscape marked by questions and concerns surrounding financial stability, mounting reports of “record” investments into employee pay suggest there is a light at the end of this gloomy economic tunnel. Various related announcements that have taken place over the past two months come after the introduction of a revised Real Living...

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Remake’s “Fashion Accountability Report 2024” shows industry’s need to act on promises

Now in its fourth year, non-profit organisation Remake has published its latest annual “Fashion Accountability Report 2024”. It measured the performance of 52 large fashion companies (more than 100 US dollars in annual revenue) like Fast Retailing, H&M, Inditex, Kering, LVMH and PVH in six key areas: traceability, wages and wellbeing, commercial...

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Sainsbury’s invests 200 million pounds to increase employee pay

Sainsbury’s has said that it would be investing 200 million pounds in order to increase the rate of employee pay by 9.1 percent, effective from March. The supermarket giant will be increasing the wage to 12 pounds an hour, and 13.15 pounds for colleagues in London, making it the company’s “biggest ever investment into colleague pay” with 120,000...

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How (not) sustainable is the fashion industry?

Fashion and 'sustainability' don't actually go together. A garment is usually made in such a way that it quickly goes out of fashion. In the fashion industry there is not only stylistic obsolescence, but also technical obsolescence. Some clothing is of such low quality that it tears, pills or loses its colour after a few wears and washes. Ideal...

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Oxfam poll: Australian consumers want fashion brands to pay workers living wage

According to a recent poll by charity retailer Oxfam Australia, consumers do not trust the claims that Australian fashion brands are making in regards to the treatment of overseas garment workers in their supply chains. This comes as no surprise with the industry recording a staggering two billion dollars in expected profits on one hand and...

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Why Bangladesh’s minimum wage demand of 23,000 taka is justified

Bangladesh has been in the news recently — minimum wage discussions have turned sour with enraged garment workers taking to the streets for the second week. Two workers have died and sentiments are flaring up on both sides. What is the issue? While garment workers and their unions demand a minimum wage of 23,000 Bangladeshi taka (around 209 US...