A dignified salary is a basic human right recognized in many international and national legislations. A dignified salary allows workers to cover basic needs for themselves and their family, which includes food, utilities, housing, education, and healthcare, as well as discretionary income for unexpected expenses. It is a salary that is paid for a working week lasting a maximum of 48 hours. The European Citizens Initiative for living wages aims to ensure this standard for everyone.

The vast majority of workers in the clothing and textile production sector around the world earn very low wages, and many cannot escape poverty. In many countries, even a minimum wage is not determined, and where it exists, it often cannot cover basic needs.

Without a living wage, workers are forced to work overtime or hold multiple jobs, and in many Asian countries, they are forced to send children to work instead of school. They cannot cover basic necessities, and unforeseen situations such as illness or broken appliances bury them in even deeper poverty.

Europe is the largest market in the world, yet most companies do not respect human rights, much less the right to a dignified salary. Mechanisms based on volunteerism are not enough. We need legislation that will oblige companies to respect the European Citizens Initiative for living wages, applying to all companies to ensure equal conditions in the industry.

The Good Clothes, Fair Pay initiative, which represents the European Citizens Initiative for living wages, focuses on companies that sell their products in the EU, not only those based within the European Union.

The EU is the largest importer of clothing in the world, importing more than 69 billion euros worth of clothes in 2020. As the largest common market, it has the responsibility to ensure that the clothes sold are produced in safe conditions and that the people who make them are fairly paid.

If global garment supply chains cross borders, we need legislation that also crosses borders.

By having EU level legislation instead of national laws, companies are more likely to conduct due diligence processes.

Because of all of the above, organizations fighting for labor rights, such as the Clean Clothes Campaign, have launched the European Citizens Initiative for living wages. Novi sindikat is a member of this campaign, supporting an initiative that would bind companies based in or selling products in the EU to respect the right to a dignified salary. Supporting the European Citizens Initiative for living wages is a crucial step toward global justice

More on the initiative page.