Social Dialogue

We support any and every type of dialogue and negotiation that shapes pay and working conditions. This includes social dialogue between workers, employers, trade unions, and governments, as well as dialogue between buyers and suppliers on purchasing practices and pricing. Access to the same information means concerns get raised, shared, and worked through before they escalate into conflict, whether that's on the factory floor, across complex supply chains, or in national policy. When everyone negotiates from the same foundation of solid data, dialogue turns into concrete agreements.

WageIndicator's worker surveys which include the Decent Work Check and Decent Work Due Diligence Check let workers report on their own pay, hours, and working conditions anonymously – factory by factory, plantation by plantation. Alongside this, we collect and analyse collective bargaining agreements from around the world, tracking what's actually being negotiated and where agreements fall short. Through our networks with international brands, we also advise employers on labour standards directly, and connect them with trade unions where dialogue doesn't yet exist. Together, this gives everyone involved, from workers and employers to buyers further up the supply chain, the same evidence to negotiate from.

Our Decent Work Checks compare real working conditions against national labour law — covering pay, hours, leave, safety, and social security — so workers and employers can see exactly where a workplace stands. Available in print and online, they turn dense legal text into a quick, practical reference that workers, trade unions, employers, and even labour inspectors can use to spot gaps and start a conversation.

Since 2017, WageIndicator has worked with textile, garment, footwear and leather sector unions across Indonesia to bring real transparency to working conditions — surveying workers directly, rather than auditing paperwork, across hundreds of factories in West and Central Java and DKI Jakarta. Learn more here!

Since 2017, WageIndicator has worked with flower farms across Ethiopia to bring real transparency to working conditions — surveying women workers directly on wages, safety, and rights, and using that data to help close the gender pay gap in the sector. Learn more here!

Since 2023, WageIndicator has worked with FEMNET e.V., Bangladesh Labour Foundation, and Mondiaal FNV to bring worker-based monitoring to Ashulia's ready-made garment sector – surveying garment workers directly across 54 factories to give unions real evidence for due diligence and negotiation. Learn more here!