Worker organisations in Asia are launching a campaign named "Asian Floor Wage Campaign" in October to demand international apparel buyers and big apparel brands to pay a few cents extra for their purchases as a way to ensure decent wages for garment workers.
The campaign will also ask for support from trade unions and consumer movements in the US and EU, the main export destinations of apparel from Asia.
Trade unions believe that big western retailers like Walmart,Carrefour, Tesco,JC PenneyandMarks and Spencerare in a position to force their low purchasing prices on garment manufacturers in Asian countries due to the global economic slowdown.
The Asian Floor Wage sets a standard basic wage for garment workers across Asia, based on cost of living.
It is currently calculated at 475 international dollars (using the purchasing power parity method of the World Bank) for Asian countries.
