Abstract
This article examines the role of local industrial relations, specifically workplace unionsand collective bargaining, in improving the working conditions of apparel factories exportingto multinational brands and retailers. Drawing on a unique data set collected in Bangladesh,Cambodia, Haiti, Indonesia, Jordan, Nicaragua and Viet Nam by the Better Work programme,we show that local industrial relations play a positive role under certain conditions, even whenfreedom of association and bargaining are restricted, providing partial support for the argumentthat labour standards at the production end of global supply chains can be improved significantlyby engaging with local actors and institutions.
