Responding to a new report which shows that H&M is failing to pay its workers fair living wages, despite well-publicised promises, a Fashion Revolution spokesperson said:
“Fashion Revolution is disappointed that H&M, the world’s second largest fashion retailer, has failed to meet its pledge to ensure its suppliers pay workers a living wage to 85,000 textile workers by 2018.
“Many brands are dragging their feet on the issue of living wages, and it is without doubt a very complex and political goal to achieve.
“However it is simply not acceptable that it takes scandal reports on poverty wages, poor working conditions, safety hazards and environmental damage before the big fashion and apparel industry giants re-evaluate their sustainability work and approach mechanisms.
“This research shows that workers in factories which supply H&M in Cambodia earn less than half the estimated living wage, a figure which drops to around a third for those living in India and Turkey. Many workers overtime hours exceeded the legal limit without being properly paid.
“Too many major brands loudly touts its sustainability efforts, but in reality, important parts of their supply chains are on a shaky ground. Fashion Revolution believes that these scandals will continue until the whole fashion industry experiences a radical paradigm shift to transforms the way we produce, sell, consume and dispose of clothes.
“Brands and retailers need to build a new system of responsible purchasing practices, based on trust and long-term relationships with suppliers, training, dialogue and capacity building, worker engagement, and a serious new look at pricing mechanisms including labour costing.
“Transparency and traceability of the supply chain is also advancing, and are necessary first steps towards wider systemic change, helping to shine a light on issues often kept in the dark.
“Since 2016, Fashion Revolution has tracked leading global brands and benchmarked their performance on five key issues: policy and commitments, governance, traceability, know show and fix, and spotlight issues. H&M made the second tier along with other brands, scoring in the 51-60% out of a possible 250 points.