Patagonia has joined the Fair Labor Association, civil society organizations and other apparel and footwear makers in calling on the government of Bangladesh to raise the minimum wage to 23,000 Bangladeshi Taka for the ready-made garment sector in line with a living wage for workers and their families as determined by the Global Living Wage Coalition.
We recognize the value Bangladesh holds as the third-largest supplier of garments to the world. We source from one longtime factory partner in Bangladesh who makes some of our most technical products. Our supplier has made meaningful progress toward living wages, yet we know there is more we can do together.
As an accredited member of the FLA, we are committed to raising workers’ living standards through our own actions.
· We launched our Fair Trade program in 2014 as a way to send money directly to workers in our factories. Today, more than 85% of our styles are Fair Trade Certified, and premiums continually reach more than 75,000 workers.
· Each year, we take stock of the wages workers are earning in our supply chain. By working with our factory partners, we collect comprehensive data on wages, working hours, benefits and incentives to understand the gap to living wages. This extensive exercise helps us prioritize suppliers, regions and interventions to focus on.
· We seek guidance from labor experts and academics to conduct field studies and pilots to help us identify opportunities to increase wages sustainably.
· We engage in multi-stakeholder initiatives and collaborate with other brands to scale impact.
· We are committed to responsible purchasing practices, and we consider how every business decision impacts workers and suppliers. We believe in long-term partnerships, transparent negotiations and open dialogue with our supplier partners.