The “Good Clothes, Fair Pay” campaign was launched by several international organizations, including the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC), Fashion Revolution, Fair Wear, and Fair Trade, among others. Croatia is actively participating through Novi sindikat and the Regional Industrial Union (RIS), as part of the CCC and the Coalition for a Living Wage.
The goal of the campaign is to collect one million signatures from European citizens to support legislation that would ensure living wages for workers in the garment industry. With the support of a broad coalition of organizations and individuals, this is the largest European campaign for living wages and the loudest call to pass legislation on this topic to date.
Participating organizations call on fashion brands and retailers to establish, implement, monitor, and publicly disclose plans to close the gap between actual wages and an estimated living wage. For reference, according to 2018 calculations, a living wage for Croatia was HRK 10,452.
Furthermore, brands are required to identify risk groups in their supply chains that are particularly affected by low wages, such as women and migrant workers. The proposed legislation includes specific measures regarding pricing, costs, and general production practices. This proposal would apply to all brands and retailers wishing to trade within the European Union, regardless of whether they are based in the EU or elsewhere.
The Clean Clothes Campaign is a founding member of the group that drafted the bill and serves as a key partner in the campaign.
“Living wages are a core focus for the CCC, but it is also an area where progress is difficult to achieve. Fashion brands still find it far too easy to avoid their responsibility as de facto employers to ensure workers can live with dignity. While numerous voluntary initiatives claim to work toward living wages, in reality, garment workers remain impoverished, with extremely low and likely decreasing purchasing power. Voluntary initiatives have not resulted in significant improvements. That is why we need legislation, binding measures, and strong independent labor unions to achieve our goal,” said Tibbe Smith Larsen, CCC’s European Regional Coordinator.
“The legislation we are demanding through this campaign is essential for all garment workers, whether they are in Europe, Asia, Africa, or the Americas. The pandemic made it painfully clear that without laws or binding mechanisms, brands will neglect their responsibility as the primary profiteers from the labor of underpaid workers. The issue of a living wage is now more relevant than ever: the crisis has highlighted the results of decades of poverty—workers are now in immediate danger of being unable to provide basic necessities for themselves and their families,” said Mario Iveković, President of Novi sindikat.
Watch the campaign video and sign the petition here: https://youtu.be/8tsanafnycs
More details about the legislative proposal are available in English on the campaign website: www.goodclothesfairpay.eu . For all news regarding the campaign in Croatia, follow our website at https://www.novisindikat.hr , the Novi sindikat Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/novisindicatns, and the pages of other members of the Coalition for a Living Wage.
The petition can be signed by all citizens of the European Union and anyone with an EU passport, regardless of where they live. Signing is secure and your personal information is protected. Your OIB (Personal Identification Number) is required to confirm your identity, as mandated by the European Union for a European Citizens’ Initiative. This The certificate confirms is fully aligned with the strict security and privacy requirements prescribed by EU Regulation (2019/788).
Sign the petition here:
