FWF updates ‘Wage Ladder’ to make global comparisons easier
12/11/2014
Members can now compare wages between men and women and between departments, both on a country and region level, making negotiations between brands and factories more productive, says FWF.
A new feature enables FWF to better measure progress in garment factories, such as establishing whether wages have increased between audits.
“The Wage Ladder is a first step to bridge the gap between minimum wages and living wages,” said FWF director Erica van Doorn. “It’s not a solution in itself; the millions of garment workers worldwide will not be paid a living wage tomorrow. But it makes clear that the industry does not need to wait for an international standard to be developed. You can start moving wages ‘up the ladder’ today.
“The garment industry has great potential to lift millions of workers worldwide out of poverty. In most low-cost production countries, however, legal minimum wages are still too low for workers to meet basic needs, like food, shelter, and health care. Progress has often stalled in discussions about what, exactly, constitutes a living wage.”
The ladder is being used by over 500 companies.
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