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The Rana Plaza disaster seven years on: Transnational experiments and perhaps a new treaty?

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  • Anne TREBILCOCK

Abstract

This article examines several noteworthy initiatives that were implemented following the deadly 2013 Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh. They broke new ground in transnational labour law. The ILO‐backed initiatives were largely successful but remain insufficient to achieve lasting change in the ready‐made garment industry, where global brands’ supply chain buying practices constrain investment in occupational safety and health. A proposed United Nations treaty on business and human rights now seeks to enhance corporate accountability. Although promising, as part of a smart mix of multi‐level public and private solutions, the treaty needs fine‐tuning in the light of lessons learned from post‐Rana Plaza experiments.

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  • Anne TREBILCOCK, 2020. "The Rana Plaza disaster seven years on: Transnational experiments and perhaps a new treaty?," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 159(4), pages 545-568, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:intlab:v:159:y:2020:i:4:p:545-568
    DOI: 10.1111/ilr.12183
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    Cited by:

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    2. Grier, Kevin & Mahmood, Towhid & Powell, Benjamin, 2023. "Anti-sweatshop activism and the safety-employment tradeoff: Evidence from Bangladesh's Rana Plaza disaster," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 208(C), pages 174-190.
    3. Robert Home & Mareike Weiner & Christian Schader, 2021. "Smart Mixes in International Supply Chains: A Definition and Analytical Tool, Illustrated with the Example of Organic Imports into Switzerland," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-20, September.
    4. Ruth DUKES & Judy FUDGE & Guy MUNDLAK, 2021. "Labour law in the 100 years of the International Labour Review," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 160(4), pages 66-77, December.

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