1. Christina Rebel
Christina Rebel
26/10/2009

2. Overview
 What is the Asia Floor Wage?
 The State of the Global Garment Industry
 AFW Targets
 AFW Formulation
 AFW’s Issue Linkages
 Resources & FAQ’s
 Conclusions

3. What is the Asia Floor Wage?
 Both a Substantive & Strategic Concept
 A Standardised & Comparable Demand
 A Collective Bargaining Strategy
 An Educational & Emancipatory Project
 Consumer Awareness Ventures

4. Asia Floor Wage Alliance
 International Secretariat – New Delhi
 Regional Steering Committees representing:
India Cambodia
Indonesia Thailand
Bangladesh China
Malaysia Hong Kong
 In alliance with:
 Jobs with Justice, USA
 Clean Clothes Campaign, The Netherlands
 Action Aid, UK

5. State of Global Garment Industry
 Asia-concentrated industry
 Integrated across the Global Supply Chain
 Frozen wage levels
 Undermined Rights to Association
 4-tiered market within Asia
 Activism has a long & committed history
 Lack of measurable & bargainable demands

7. AFW FAQ’s
 Are wage levels comparable across Asia?
 Will this not lead to the shift of production
to another country with cheaper labour?
 How is the Asia Floor Wage feasible?

8. AFW Targets
 Giant Retailers,
 i.e. Walmart, Tesco, GAP, Zara
 Tier 1 Suppliers within representative states
 Related Ministries & Exporting Companies

9. AFW Formulation
1Based on a caloric value basket of 3000 calories
2With a scope of ±10%
3Based on a 48 hour standard working week

10. AFW Issue Linkages
 Asia Floor Wage & Gender
 Asia Floor Wage & Economic Crises
 Asia Floor Wage & Human Rights
 Asia Floor Wage & Labour Rights

11. AFW Resources – asiafloorwage.org
 Theoretical articles & Working Papers
 Empirical Reports on working conditions
and the state of pay
 Comic Books & Regional Newsletters for
Workers
 Talking Points & Issue-linkages for the Press
and activists

12. AFW’s Further Requirements
Solidarity amongst workers within Asia
AND
Transnational Solidarity amongst workers

13. Conclusions
 Unique, alternative policy plan
 Realistic and winnable
 Regional objective delivers greater
possibility
 Feasible

14. “ If you have come to help me,
you are wasting your time.
But if you have come
because your liberation
is bound up with mine,
then let us work together ”
- Aboriginal Activists Group, 1970’s.

18. Source: ILO Conditions of Work and Employment;
www.ilo.org/public/english/support/lib/dblist.htm
Actual wages data (**) based on Workshop on Asian Garment Wages
at New Delhi, organized by CEC and CCC, January 2006