wages and working hours
"Wages are so low and the cost of living so high, she finds it very hard to make ends meet. At 18, she is the only earning member of her family of three. She is an only child and both her parents are jobless. She spends almost 40% of her income on the rent of a one bedroom house. When told that companies check that workers should get at least the minimum wage set by the government, which they all do, she said that 'if they think this is enough , they should all try to live on this amount for a month and decide if it is OK.'” - Interview with a Pakistani worker
In many countries those who can get jobs in factories are considered lucky, and young girls leave their families in rural areas to travel hundreds of miles in search of such work. Yet the reality when they arrive is tough. Wages are low and overtime, although necessary to make ends meet, is excessive and compulsory. Long working hours and forced overtime are a major concern among garment workers. Factory managers typically push employees to work between 10 and 12 hours, sometimes 16 to 18 hours a day. When order deadlines loom, working hours get longer. A seven-day working week is becoming the norm during the peak season, particularly in China, despite limits placed by the law. Workers are often informed at the last minute that they are expected to work extra hours. In many instances, workers report being threatened with dismissal and subjected to penalties as well as verbal abuse if they cannot work the additional hours.
The Ethical Trading Initiative's 'base code', which many of the top high-street fashion names have committed to working towards, makes clear that, "wages should always be enough to meet basic needs and to provide some discretionary income". Yet for many garment workers and their families, the real value of wages have actually fallen in recent years as prices for basic commodities like food have risen. Workers still find themselves struggling to survive on the breadline, working excessive overtime just so they can make ends meet.
A Living Wage
Labour Behind the Label defines a living wage as one that enables workers to meet their needs for nutritious food and clean water, shelter, clothes, education, health care and transport, as well as allowing for a discretionary income. It should be enough to provide for the basic needs of workers and their families, to allow them to participate fully in society and live with dignity. It should take into account the cost of living, social security benefits and the standard living of others nearby. Finally, it should be based on a standard working week, before overtime, and apply after any deductions. There are two key ways of calculating a living wage: by calculation or by negotiation. Calculation involves using a formula and negotiation involves allowing workers and their managers to set wages through bargaining between themselves usually through a trade union.
Learn more...
- For more detailed information about wages and working hours, see Fashioning an Ethical Industry Factsheet 6:Working conditions in the global fashion industry and Factsheet 5a: Worker case studies.
- Learn about the advantages and disadvantages of the different approaches to working out a living wage on the Fashioning an Ethical Industry Factsheet 19: Living wages
- Each year Labour Behind the Label produces a report that looks at what different high street retailers are, or are not doing, to ensure that the workers producing their clothes are paid a living wage. Read the latest Clean up Fashion report.
- Join the Asian Floor Wage Campaign - a push for implementation of a concrete minimum living wage across Asia. For further information see the Clean Clothes Campaign website.
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