Responded to survey: yes
MSI involvement: no [what's this?]
Grade 1: Accepts the principle of a living wage, but applies legal minimum/industry benchmark. [what's this?]
Summary
Clarks has a basic auditing system and uses this to monitor wages but it has a long way to go to ensure living wages for its workers
Position on living wages
Clarks code of conduct states that ‘wages must be sufficient to meet basic needs.’
Position on freedom of association
‘We have confidence in our audit programme which covers compliance to our own standards as well as incorporating the key conventions of the International Labour Organisation – including freedom of association and collective bargaining.’
Work so far on living wages
‘Our audit process is currently the prime driver in improving wages.... Audits review both pay and payment systems to ensure all aspects of pay & benefits are compliant with legal minimum. Evidence shows us that many of our suppliers pay above these minimum levels.’
Plans on living wages
None mentioned.
Other significant information
“We are currently reviewing membership of multi-stakeholder organisations with whom Clarks can work: to link with our competitors and make an even more persuasive case. I expect to see action in this area in 2009.”
Our comments
Clarks don’t appear to have made any progress on living wages in the last year. Although their code promises wages to meet basic needs, legal minimums are far from this and no steps have been taken to research or implement the real deal. The Asian Floor Wage campaign could give them some pointers as to what a living wage really means but would require Clarks to develop a more coherent strategy for improving labour standards. A decision to join an MSI this year would help facilitate this.
