Bestseller backs the EuroCham Myanmar Garment Advocacy Group’s request that the nation’s minimum wage for garment workers be reviewed and updated. Since the latest minimum wage increase in 2018, the statement emphasises the pressing need for an updated wage floor that takes into account workers’ cost of living.
Bestseller acknowledged that raising the minimum wage is crucial to advancing equitable working conditions and bolstering the clothing industry’s overall resilience, according to Claus Aabling, Labour Rights Manager.
In addition, Aabling stated that low salaries are a systemic issue that cannot be resolved by a single party. Consequently, Bestseller considers it a major part of its duty as a sourcing brand to speak up.
Low salaries are frequently brought up as one of the most urgent issues during routine interactions with workers, trade unions, and labour rights organisations in Myanmar. As a result, Bestseller has increased wages by interacting with factories in its supply chain. The absence of a statutory update continues to put pressure on workers’ livelihoods throughout the industry, despite the fact that most factories in the supply chain have voluntarily increased salaries.
