The phrase “living wage” has gained steam in recent years: Advocates argue that a wage level that allows for basic needs – plus a modicum of disposable income – is a human right, and failing to pay one is a violation of human rights. The concept has risen in popularity in recent years as evidence of poverty-level wages across a multitude of global industries has mounted, from agriculture, to textiles, to electronics and beyond. Struggles for a living wage are seen as a way to address poverty and inequality in locations where a legal minimum wage either does not exist, is not enforced or is insufficient to provide for a family.
The major roadblock to achieving a living wage in global supply chains is the lack of interest on the part of global brands.
On October 27, 140 people from government, civil society, nongovernmental organizations, academia and the private sector gathered at the Social and Economic Council (SER) of the Netherlands to address the pressing issue of instituting living wages in global supply chains. These supply chains comprise the entire production processes for consumer goods, including the gathering of raw materials, the processing of materials, component production, assembly and manufacture.