The apparel sector is rooted in (extremely) low-wage sourcing areas. According to The Industry We Want’s 2024 wage gap metric, the average gap between minimum wages and the average living wage in key garment-producing countries is 49,5%. Actual wages in apparel factories and gaps in living wage levels are also not transparent. Based on Fashion Revolution’s Fashion Transparency Index 2023, only 1% of major fashion brands disclose the number of workers in their supply chain that are being paid a living wage, and just 28% disclose their approach to achieving living wages supply chain workers.
In order to address the persistent low wages in apparel and footwear supply chains, collective action and a level playing field are critical to accelerate and scale the necessary improvements. Through the program Wages in Apparel and Responsible Purchasing (WARP), we aim to work together with leading existing initiatives and institutions to convene and co-create collective action between brands, manufacturers, worker representatives, and government to commit to higher wages for workers, measure the living wage gap, increase responsible purchasing practices and report on progress.
How we work
WARP convenes international actors to facilitate the engagement with local stakeholders in producing countries, in order to:
- Train worker representatives and employers to take part in social dialogue within the framework of Multi-Company Collective Bargaining Agreements (MC CBA´s) to include improved wage levels
- Gain international brand commitments to support social dialogue
Moreover, WARP works on a global sector level with international apparel and footwear brands to publicly commit to and advance on:
- More responsible purchasing practices to enable higher wages
- Mapping the living wage gap in their supply chain
- Reporting transparently on their purchasing practices and wage development in their supply chain
WARP supports brands by creating common ground for further scaling and leverage between existing approaches and tools for living wage gap measurement, wage improvement, progress reporting and responsible purchasing practices, in partnership with leading initiatives.
Roadmap on Living Wages
Get Involved
Creating system change at country or sector level requires that the commitment of all supply chain actors “meets” the reality of stakeholders in the producing countries
To learn more about how your organization can get involved, contact:
