ILO Better Work

ILO Better Work
Name	Better Work
Formation	2009
Type	Partnership between international organizations
Headquarters	Geneva, Switzerland
Parent organizations	International Labour Organization; International Finance Corporation

ILO Better Work

Better Work is a multinational program that combines International Labour Organization standards with International Finance Corporation practices to improve working conditions and competitiveness in the global garment industry. Launched as a collaborative initiative, it targets supply chains linking producers in Bangladesh , Cambodia , and Vietnam to buyers in United States and European Union markets, engaging with stakeholders such as trade unions, multinational corporations, and development banks. The program integrates compliance assessment, advisory services, and public reporting to influence labor outcomes across complex globalization networks.

Background and Origins

Better Work was established in 2009 as a joint initiative of the International Labour Organization and the International Finance Corporation following high-profile industrial disasters and increased scrutiny of garment industry supply chains. Its origins trace to events including the Rana Plaza collapse and recurring incidents in Dhaka and Savar Upazila, which catalyzed policy responses from actors such as the Bangladesh Accord, Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, and regulatory bodies like the European Commission. Founding partners drew on prior initiatives including ILO Decent Work Agenda and IFC Sustainability Framework to design a program linking labour inspection reform, occupational safety and health upgrades, and market-based incentives.

Objectives and Scope

The program seeks to align factory practice with ILO Conventions and national legislation while promoting competitiveness for exporters targeting United States and European Union buyers. Core objectives include reducing workplace hazards evidenced in cases like the Tazreen Fashions fire, improving freedom of association as advocated by International Trade Union Confederation, and enhancing compliance with standards embedded in instruments such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Its scope covers auditing, enterprise-level advisory services, and systemic engagement across sectors tied to textiles, apparel, and footwear that serve markets in China, Japan, and South Korea.

Program Components and Methodology

Better Work uses a three-pronged methodology combining assessment, advisory services, and public reporting modeled on practices from social auditing and corporate social responsibility frameworks. Assessment employs factory-level compliance assessment tools and workplace grievance mechanisms while advisory teams deliver training in areas like occupational safety and health, payroll practices influenced by minimum wage laws, and industrial relations drawing on precedents from tripartite consultations and collective bargaining processes. The methodological toolkit references standards from ISO 45001 and leverages data-driven approaches inspired by impact evaluation techniques used by World Bank and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development studies.

Partnerships and Governance

Better Work is governed through a steering structure integrating representatives from the International Labour Organization, the International Finance Corporation, national authorities, employer organizations such as the Confederation of Indian Industry, and worker organizations including the International Trade Union Confederation. Financial and technical partnerships span actors like the World Bank Group, bilateral donors (e.g., United States Agency for International Development, Department for International Development), and private brands including H&M, Gap Inc., Inditex, Nike, Inc., and PVH Corp.. Governance arrangements echo multistakeholder models exemplified by initiatives such as the Fair Labor Association and the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety, balancing market incentives with regulatory alignment involving ministries such as Ministry of Labour and Employment (India) and Ministry of Labour (Cambodia).

Impact, Evaluations, and Criticism

Independent evaluations by researchers affiliated with institutions like Harvard University, Yale University, and University of Sydney have reported mixed results: measurable improvements in occupational safety metrics alongside persistent challenges in areas like wage compliance and freedom of association. Peer-reviewed studies published in venues such as the Journal of Development Economics and working papers from Centre for Economic Policy Research analyze causal impacts using randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental designs influenced by methodologies from Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo. Criticism has come from NGOs including Human Rights Watch and Clean Clothes Campaign over perceived limitations in addressing systemic power imbalances, transparency debates paralleling controversies around the Bangladesh Accord and concerns raised in ILO Committee on Freedom of Association proceedings.

Regional and Sectoral Implementation

Better Work operates country programs in locations such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Vietnam, Haiti, Jordan, Indonesia, Madagascar, Nicaragua, Egypt, Pakistan, and Ethiopia, tailoring interventions to national contexts shaped by labour law regimes and sector structures like export-oriented textile manufacturing clusters in Ho Chi Minh City and industrial zones in Dhaka. Sectoral strategies coordinate with buyer-led sustainability programs from brands like Primark and supply-chain initiatives such as SEDEX and BSCI, while national engagement aligns with reforms in institutions like Labour Inspectorate bodies and vocational training programs linked to ILO STEP-type capacity building. The program’s mix of factory-level work and policy dialogue aims to bridge enterprise practice and national regulatory reform across diverse geopolitical settings.

Category:International Labour Organization Category:Multistakeholder initiatives