H&M plans proper pay structure

Sweden: Swedish fashion retail giant H&M is mulling to introduce elected committees and proper pay structure for those working in its main supplier factories across the world by 2018. The fashion brand sources its apparels from factories across 25 countries and indirectly employs 1.6 million garment workers, a majority of whom (64 per cent) are women. From poor health, safety standards, long working hours and low pay to not being allowed to form trade unions are among the major concerns of people working within the garment industry. Additionally, fixed-term contracts, forced overtime and loss of job if pregnant were found as major issues for textile workers stitching clothes for H&M in factories in Delhi (India) and Phnom Penh (Cambodia). This was revealed in a recent report by the Asia Floor Wage Alliance (AFWA), a coalition of trade unions and labour rights groups.

Astrom however said that the company is committed to the fact that every garment worker should earn enough to make a decent living and it wants to ensure this across the industry.