C&A, partnering brands and ACT (Association for Contract Textiles) understand the need to communicate better our common support for higher minimum wages in Bangladesh, and have therefore jointly published a 3rd public statement on ACT's website.

C&A, as all ACT members, expresses a profound concern over the violence resulting in injuries and fatalities among individuals involved in recent wage protests. We urge the authorities to protect all people affected and we deem it as crucial that those exercising their right to freedom of association and assembly, in line with international standards, are not detained or discriminated against in their current or future employment.

As an ACT member we believe that a long-term sustainable garment industry requires progress towards living wages. C&A supports a higher minimum wage level for 2023 that should cover the basic needs of workers and their families, including some discretionary income, and earned during legal working hours. We also support ILO’s positioning on more regular reviews of the minimum wages locally.

C&A and all ACT member brands recognise their role in supporting wage developments, and have made commitments on facilitating the payment of living wages through their purchasing practices. This is why we fully support the updated ACT public statement which you can find in full on their website.