The collapse of the Rana Plaza factory in 2013 was a wake-up call for the global garment industry, highlighting severe gaps in worker rights, factory safety and corporate accountability. In the aftermath of the collapse, various initiatives emerged to enhance worker voice and improve conditions in Bangladesh's Ready-Made Garment (RMG) sector.
A new chapter by Dr Sharmin Shabnam Rahman, Jette Steen Knudsen and Jeremy Moon, titled Worker Initiatives in the Post-Rana Plaza Bangladesh Garments Industry: Collective and Individual Approaches, examines how different approaches to worker empowerment have evolved and their effectiveness in the current labour governance landscape. The chapter features in A Research Agenda for Business and Human Rights, published by Edward Elgar.
Dr Rahman's research compares two major initiatives aimed at strengthening worker rights in Bangladesh. The first is the Amader Kotha Helpline (AKH), which originated from the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety. This initiative empowers individual workers by providing a confidential platform to report workplace issues. It has gained significant traction and influenced broader labour rights discussions. The AKH is compared to the Social Dialogue Program (SDP), which was developed under the Joint Ethical Trading Initiative (JETI). This program emphasises collective bargaining and process rights, encouraging workers to organise and negotiate with factory management. However, in the absence of domestic political support for trade unions, its impact remains limited.
The chapter demonstrates that individual-based approaches, like AKH, have been more successful in scaling up across Bangladesh, primarily due to corporate interest in risk mitigation and brand reputation. In contrast, the SDP's collective approach has struggled to gain wider adoption beyond European brands.
Dr Rahman's work raises important questions about the effectiveness of private governance in global supply chains. While both approaches contribute to improved worker conditions, they highlight the ongoing power imbalance between brands, suppliers and workers. The research underscores the need for:
- Stronger regulatory support - without local government backing, collective bargaining initiatives struggle to gain momentum
- Integration of human rights in corporate governance - companies must move beyond compliance and proactively protect labour rights
- A balance between individual and collective empowerment - while individual grievance mechanisms are effective, long term structural change requires worker-led organisations
The study builds on Dr Rahman's extensive research on modern slavery, corporate accountability and human rights in emerging markets. This research is a timely contribution to the ongoing debate on ethical supply chains and corporate accountability. As policymakers and businesses look to improve labour rights worldwide, the balance between collective and individual empowerment will remain a crucial area of focus.
