20 YEARS OF
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Columbia Sportswear Company takes allegations of failure to pay legal wages seriously and has addressed this issue with factories producing our products in Karnataka state. We have strongly urged them to pay the current Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA) plus any wage arrears to workers and have communicated a timeline to these suppliers by which to complete this process.
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Shahi Exports, India’s largest garment manufacturer, announced it will immediately begin paying its 80,000 workers in Karnataka the correct minimum wage and will provide them with full back pay for the prior underpayment, which the WRC estimates to total $10 million for Shahi's workers alone.
Shahi Exports confirmed they will pay VDA arrears to workers, with the first instalment to be made on 10 February and the remainder paid on 10 May (with April wages).
On 19 January 2022, the American Apparel & Footwear Association wrote a letter to the Clothing Manufacturer's Association of India, urging its members to pay workers in Karnataka the legally mandated increases in the Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA) and any arrears owed to workers by March 2022.