Asia Floor Wage: What's it all about?

[pampango]

http://www.labourbehindthelabel.org/campaigns/asiafloorwage/

"One of the root causes of poverty wages in the industry is the power of global buyers to constantly relocate production in search of ever lower prices and better terms of trade. This power is used to exert a downward pressure on wages and conditions – labour being one of the few 'production costs' or 'inputs' that can be squeezed."

"The basic idea of the Asia Floor Wage is to put a 'floor' under this, thereby preventing this competition from forcing wages below poverty levels and making sure gains are more equitably shared along the supply chain. The Asia Floor Wage alliance have formulated a unified, regional demand for a minimum living wage which is decent and fair and which can be standardised and compared between countries. This regional collective bargaining strategy will unite workers and their allies from different Asian countries behind this demand. The goal is to attain this standardised minimum living wage for workers across Asia through negotiations between garment industry employers and workers’ representative organisations, and with the mediation and support of governments, inter-governmental organisations and social movements. "

"The Asia Floor Wage concept and all the decisions were led by workers and unions from garment producing countries. The Asia Floor Wage Alliance, a large coalition of unions and labour organisations spread across Asia, supported by trade unions, labour NGOs, anti-sweatshop movements, and scholars from Europe and the USA, worked on the formula. Together they agreed:
* The Asia floor wage should provide enough for food costs and non food costs of a standard family of 2 adults and 2 children.
* That a basket of food is based on a standard calorific intake of 3000 calories per adult, 1500 per child.
* The ratio between food costs and of other non food costs such as clothing, housing and utilities, healthcare, social security, education, and savings should be 50% food, 50% non food.
* The wage should be earned during each country’s legal maximum working week, though not above 48 hours."

"Labour Behind the Label, as part of the Asia Floor Wage alliance are calling for a widespread and systematic change to the way garment worker's wages are calculated and paid. This change will not only include action on the part of singular brands and retailers, but collaboration together with other brands, and action taken by national governments and industry to raise minimum wage levels."

[Taverner]

1. I am 100% for this

[thunder rising]

2. You know this is the "red scare". The CIA will exterminate people and if it gets out of hand we'll

send in troops and kill more people.

[Morning Dew]

3. Oh sure, protect wages before the race to the bottom is complete.

Now we'll never be able to rail against cheap Zambian crap in our stores.


:sarcasm:

[DJ13]

4. Suddenly a thousand free market capitalists jump out a window

[ddeclue]

5. Good luck with that as long as there is a PRC, a Vietnam or a Myan Mar run by tyrannical gov'ts.

it will be totally undermined.

The only way to force it is to pass laws banning or taxing the crap out of imports from countries that won't follow US labor, safety, consumer and environmental laws and regulations.