The minimum legal wage is set by a country, a province, a state, a collective bargaining agreement, with all salaried employees working in these territories receiving it.
The decent or living wage allows workers and their families to live decently. It must cover food, healthcare, education, clothing, transport but also savings and leisure activities. No universal standard exists. In most countries, including western countries, a wage that is considered decent is higher than the legal minimum wage.
Some NGO such as the Asia Floor Wage and the Living Wage Foundation, recognised on this topic, have set a few decent salary standards based on their methodology, of which there are a few examples:
Asia Floor Wage Study 2017:
China: minimum wage = €260 / decent living wage = €517
Bangladesh: minimum wage = 61€ / decent living wage = 336€
Since 2017, the minimum wage in Bangladesh has increased to €85 in January 2019.
Living Wage Foundation Study 2018 :
Great Britain: minimum hourly wage = £7.83 / decent living hourly wage = £9
What is DECATHLON doing?
Decathlon ensures that all suppliers, whatever their country, pays a salary superior or equal to the national or local minimum legal wage for the sector or the collective bargaining agreement, at the hourly and monthly level.
Decathlon also makes sure that all the benefits meet essential needs such as social security, paid holidays, paid leave due to illness or for family reasons as set out by local laws, are properly complied with.
If complementary benefits (which are not compulsory by law) are put in place by the employer in agreement with the personnel (ex: healthcare insurance, bonuses, shareholding), DECATHLON ensures these are complied with during social audits.
Wages must be paid directly to employees and any disciplinary measures in the form of deductions is strictly prohibited.