H&M may raise prices to pay workers

Clothing giant H&M is considering raising retail prices and passing the buck onto the consumer to help pay higher wages to garment workers in poor countries.

There won’t be any price increases in the short-term, but it “might be a possibility” in the future, Helena Helmersson, head of sustainability at the Swedish clothing maker, told Agence France-Presse on Monday in Stockholm, where the company was meeting with advocacy groups.

Ken Loo, Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia secretary-general, welcomed the announcement as a “natural response” from one of Cambodia’s most prominent sourcing brands. …

Dave Welsh, country director for labour rights group Solidarity Center/ACILS, was less optimistic about the proposal, given that huge corporate profits have rarely trickled down to workers. …

Daniel de Carteret and May Kunmakara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/hm-may-raise-prices-pay-workers