Better Work

Better Work
Name	Better Work
Formation	2007
Type	International program
Headquarters	Geneva, Switzerland
Leader title	Directors
Parent organization	International Labour Organization; International Finance Corporation

Better Work

Better Work is a global partnership program that combines workplace assessment, advisory services, and public reporting to improve labor conditions in the garment industry, promote compliance with international labor standards, and help connect apparel manufacturers to buyers in global supply chains. The program links monitoring and remediation with factory-level advisory work and market-based incentives, operating at the intersection of International Labour Organization policy, International Finance Corporation private-sector development, and major multinational buyers and brands. Better Work engages with trade unions, employer organizations, government agencies, and buyers to address issues such as freedom of association, occupational safety, and wage practices across major apparel-producing countries.

Overview

Better Work delivers factory-level services designed to help manufacturers meet obligations under the United Nations-backed Labour standards and relevant national labor laws while enabling firms to remain competitive in markets such as the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. The program produces public and confidential compliance reports, provides advisory and training interventions for managers and workers, and fosters social dialogue involving entities like International Trade Union Confederation, national confederations such as Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, and employer federations including Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry. By connecting buyers such as H&M, Gap Inc., Inditex, and Nike, Inc. to remediation efforts, Better Work aims to create incentives for sustainable sourcing and responsible purchasing practices.

History and Development

Launched in 2007 as a joint initiative of the International Labour Organization and the International Finance Corporation, the program responded to public attention from events including the Rana Plaza collapse and high-profile campaigns involving organizations such as Clean Clothes Campaign and Human Rights Watch. Early pilots in countries such as Jordan, Vietnam, Honduras, and Indonesia shaped the program’s model of combining assessment, advisory, and public disclosure. Over time, Better Work expanded to link with initiatives by the World Bank, bilateral donors like United States Agency for International Development and Department for International Development (UK), and private philanthropic actors including Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Ford Foundation-supported projects. The program evolved to incorporate digital data platforms, sector-wide stakeholder forums, and partnerships with certification schemes such as OEKO-TEX and standards bodies like SA8000.

Programs and Operations

Operationally, Better Work deploys assessment teams to factories to evaluate compliance against benchmarks derived from instruments including the International Labour Organization’s core conventions and national labor laws such as the Bangladesh Labour Act and Vietnam’s Labour Code (Vietnam). Advisory services include management training, workplace cooperation committees, and occupational health and safety improvements often coordinated with ministries like Ministry of Labour and Employment (India) or Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (Vietnam). The program engages buyers through scorecards and supply-chain dialogues with retailers and brands operating in markets such as Germany, France, Italy, and China. Data collection and reporting follow protocols that echo methodologies used by organizations like Fair Labor Association and Social Accountability International.

Impact and Evaluations

Independent evaluations by research centers such as World Bank development teams and academic studies from institutions like Harvard University, Columbia University, and University of California, Berkeley have examined Better Work’s effects on compliance, wages, and productivity. Findings frequently reference improvements in workplace safety, factory-level grievance mechanisms, and worker-management dialogue similar to outcomes reported by ILO Better Work Vietnam case studies. Quantitative analyses often compare interventions to control groups in randomized or quasi-experimental designs, while qualitative studies cite enhanced capacity of employer associations and trade unions to engage in collective bargaining processes exemplified in countries like Turkey and Ethiopia.

Criticisms and Controversies

Critics including Clean Clothes Campaign, Amnesty International, and some labor activists argue that market-driven programs can produce uneven enforcement, potential conflicts of interest when funded by participating buyers, and insufficient attention to living wages and freedom of association in contexts such as Cambodia and Bangladesh. Debates have involved trade union federations and employers’ groups over the balance between confidentiality of factory-level reports and the need for public accountability, drawing parallels with controversies around corporate-led initiatives like the Responsible Business Alliance and debates about the adequacy of voluntary codes versus binding instruments such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

Governance and Funding

Governance arrangements reflect the joint stewardship of the International Labour Organization and the International Finance Corporation, with advisory boards that include representatives from brands, trade unions like International Trade Union Confederation, employer organizations such as International Organisation of Employers, and donor governments including Netherlands, United States, and United Kingdom. Funding sources have included multilateral agencies such as the World Bank Group, bilateral agencies like Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and corporate contributions from multinational buyers including PVH Corp. and Decathlon. Accountability mechanisms draw upon ILO governance procedures and IFC oversight frameworks.

Regional and Country Initiatives

Better Work operates country programs tailored to local industrial structures and legal contexts, with notable initiatives in Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia, Jordan, Honduras, Myanmar, and Ethiopia. Country offices coordinate with national ministries such as Ministry of Industry and Trade (Vietnam), national federations like Bangladesh Trade Union Centre, and international stakeholders including European Commission trade offices and development partners like Asian Development Bank. Programs adapt to crises—responding to factory disasters in Rana Plaza aftermath, COVID-19 disruptions linked to supply-chain shocks observed in China and India, and policy reforms such as changes to the Bangladesh Labour Act 2013.

Category:International labour organizations