Freedom of association in the Bangladeshi garment industry: A policy schizophrenia in labour regulation

Abstract

The right to freedom of association is fundamental to the establishment of labour unionism as an institution. The Bangladesh government while requires enabling legal provisions for unionisation in its garments industry, as this paper explicates, its legal regulation for the right to freedom of association is in palsy to uphold the labour unionism. This paper argues for the necessity of legislation capable of drawing from the complementary skills and resources of the government, factory owners, labour unions, and global brands to secure a sustained commitment and contribution towards socio‐economic and political dimensions of labour relations in the Bangladesh RMG industry.