Regulating factory safety in the Bangladeshi garment industry

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: James, Philip; Miles, Lilian; Croucher, Richard; Houssart, Mark
• 署名单位: Middlesex University
• 刊物名称: REGULATION & GOVERNANCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1748-5983
• DOI: 10.1111/rego.12183
• 发表日期: 2019
• 页码: 431-444
• 关键词: Labor standards; work organization; TRANSPARENCY; CONDUCT; chains; HEALTH; RIGHTS

摘要

This paper examines how far the workplace inspection program established under the 2013 Accord on Fire and Building Safety has served to improve safety in Bangladesh garment factories, and the extent to which its operation has been influenced by factors that the literature suggests are important in shaping the outcomes of private regulatory initiatives. The findings suggest that such regulation can generate positive outcomes, even in the absence of strong public regulatory support. They also caution against discounting the role of compliance-based enforcement strategies, while highlighting the importance of their adequate resourcing and transparency. Some support is also offered for the argument that such regulatory initiatives could directly influence the market dynamics that shape supplier working conditions.