Responded to survey: yes

MSI involvement: no [what's this?]

Grade 2:Acknowledges that minimum and industry benchmark wages are not sufficient standards, but no real efforts to apply living wage [what's this?]

Summary

No real activity beyond sparse auditing but some research activity into living wage disparities appears to be in the pipeline. It continues to use the minimum wage as a standard but seems to show some progress in recognising the insufficiency of this.

Position on living wages

‘Laura Ashley believes and endorses the living wage ideal. Wage should meet basic needs and provide some discretionary income.’

Position on freedom of association

Supplier Manual states ‘no worker should be discriminated against or prevented from joining a trade union or from bargaining collectively.’

Work so far on living wages

None mentioned

Plans on living wages

'Recent audits have shown us that workers earn more than the set minimum wage in many cases. We are now trying to determine what the gap between these earnings and the living wage should be, and what the implications to our business are.’

Other significant information

It has launched a Fairtrade cotton range, which is of benefit to cotton farmers but has no effect on garment workers’ wages.

Our comments

Laura Ashley’s research into the gaps between current and living wages for its workers sounds like a step in the right direction. We hope that its findings progress into the development of strategies for improving wages and real implementation of this work, ensuring living wages are paid into the pockets of workers. Joining a multistakeholder initiative would help with some ideas for ways to do this.