Campaigning across Europe during the CCC Living Wage Action Week, October 5-11 mobilised thousands to take action in support of higher wages for garment workers. Workers producing clothes for major international retailers are typically women who are paid so little that they and their families cannot afford nutritious food, safe housing, health care and clean drinking water.

The action week, which included activities in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK, also put the Asia Floor Wage (AFW) proposal in the spotlight. The AFW, a proposal for minimum living wage for garment workers across Asia, was officially launched on October 7th.

European campaigners took part in diverse activities – ranging from street actions, leafleting consumers in train stations and shopping areas, to actions at corporate headquarters and public seminars.

German CCC activists, including members of the union ver.di, handed over thousands of protest postcards at Lidl’s German headquarters in Neckarsulm.

In Vienna activists posing as workers and Lidl managers drew attention to the need for management to literally “wash their head” (an expression for giving someone a piece of your mind), showering management with buckets of water.

In the Netherlands the Leefbaar Loon (living wage) campaign continued with activities around Dutch retailers, also showcasing the compelling blog written by a Bangladeshi garment worker.

In Innsbruck activists spent a symbolic 12 hours --  the average daily working hours of a garment worker – doing public outreach to raise awareness of low wages and problematic working conditions at Lidl suppliers.

In Brussels volunteers dressed up as nails distributed flyers with AFW information at several train stations. The nail symbolises the slogan of the Decent Work campaign in Belgium “Workers are not tools. It is time to make the point!” (Les travailleurs ne sont pas des outils. Il est temps d’enfoncer le clou!). A “hammer and nail concert” also took place in Brussels.

The Norwegian and Swedish CCCs launched a joint living wage campaign targeting the largest retailers in Scandinavia. Garment worker organisers Saleena Pookunju (of the Society for Labour and Development) and Kotagarahalli Ramaiah Jayaram (of the Garment and Textile Workers Union) from India took part in a speaker tour throughout the countries, taking part in seminars and meetings with trade unions, NGOs, journalists and school students.

These are just a sample of the activities going on to support fair wages for the people who make our clothes. For complete information about campaigning to support a living wage in your country, and more about how you can get involved, please check the website of your local CCC.

To support the demand for living wage for garment workers, send a message to some of the world’s most important retailers to urge them to take action.