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Raising the bar for worker rights
April 17, 2025
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With a commitment to responsible sourcing practices and advancing progress towards fair compensation, KMD Brands joined a Fair Labor Association roundtable in Bangladesh in February 2025 focused on fair wages and worker rights.
In 2018, Kathmandu was the first brand in Australasia to earn accreditation from the Fair Labor Association (FLA). This accreditation verified that we have effective systems in place that protect workers in our global supply chain.
FLA accreditation was a milestone years in the making – driven by our commitment to improve conditions for the people who make our products. Since then, we’ve worked hard to implement responsible purchasing practices, train suppliers on best practice labour standards, monitor compliance and provide effective grievance mechanisms.
Driving change through collaboration
In February 2025, Kate Miller, KMD Brands’ Manager for Social Impact, and Summer Buckland, Group Sourcing Manager for Rip Curl, travelled to Bangladesh to join the FLA Buyer-Supplier Roundtable on Responsible Practices and Higher Wages.
Held in Dhaka, the roundtable brought together industry leaders, brands, suppliers and advocacy groups to tackle wage fairness and working conditions in one of the world’s largest garment-producing nations.
FLA research reveals that real wages in Bangladesh have barely grown since 2019 and are struggling to keep pace with inflation.
“Co-creating solutions with our suppliers is part of our ongoing commitment to the FLA’s Fair Labor Practices,” Kate says. “This roundtable was a chance for us to share our progress, strengthen our relationships with our suppliers and advocate for industry-wide change.”
Championing fair wages
The roundtable follows several years of sustained advocacy from FLA and its members. In October 2023, KMD Brands and 15 other apparel brands and retailers sent an open letter to the Bangladesh government, urging it to increase the country’s minimum wage and ensure a fair, inclusive wage-setting process.
Despite a wage increase in December 2023, workers’ earnings still fall short of a living wage. KMD Brands, alongside other FLA-accredited companies, is actively working to close the wage gap through responsible sourcing. Key actions include:
- Ensuring purchase orders cover the increased labour costs of the new minimum wage.
- Engaging suppliers in open dialogue about fair compensation.
- Supporting workers’ rights to unionise and collectively bargain.
- Analysing supply chain wage data to understand gaps between worker compensation and living wage benchmarks.
“Lasting change comes from collaboration and transparency,” says Summer. “By advocating for systemic change with other companies, we are helping to build a supply chain that upholds dignity and fairness, and a future where every worker is valued and fairly compensated.”
