Under the regime of private company or multi-stakeholder voluntary codes of conduct and industry social auditing, workers have absorbed low wages and unsafe and abusive conditions; labour leaders and union members have become the targets of both government and factory harassment and violence; and trade union power has waned. Nowhere have these private systems of codes and audits so clearly failed to protect workers as in Bangladesh’s apparel industry. However, international labour groups and Bangladeshi unions have succeeded in mounting a challenge to voluntarism in the global economy, persuading more than 180 companies to make a binding and enforceable commitment to workers’ safety in an agreement with 12 unions.
The extent to which this Bangladesh Accord will be able to influence the entrenched global regime of voluntary codes and weak trade unions remains an open question. But if the Accord can make progress in Bangladesh, it can help to inspire similar efforts in other countries and in other industries.
This Regional Overview on the sexual exploitation of children (SEC) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), consolidates the relevant existing data to map the context, risk factors, region-specific issues, responses and gaps in the fight against...Read More
The Expo 2020 will see an estimated 25 million people visit Dubai as the UAE showcases itself to the world. Yet 12 months ahead of the Expo’s launch, migrant workers on UAE construction sites continue to suffer exploitation and...Read More
Enabling access to online services through mobile technology is an essential need for survivors during the Covid-19 pandemic. It should be considered a feasible and necessary element of survivor support packages outside a pandemic. Further research ...Read More
Survivor Bank Accounts, designed specifically to be set up without proof of identification or an address, are a positive form of recognition and empowerment for survivors. They provide financial independence and demonstrate the importance of providi...Read More
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