Leveraging transparency to shift capital-labour relations in garment sector production: A critical analysis of the design and structure of the Bangladesh Accord

Abstract

Little attention has been given to examples of innovative structural designs in the private labour regulation of garment global production networks (GPNs). This article addresses this gap by examining the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, analysing its contested structural features, namely: (1) a legally binding basis, (2) a labour-balanced executive board, (3) corporate critical mass and (4) transparency of functions. The authors’ findings contribute to the understanding of emerging hybrid governance mechanisms, combining multi-organizational cooperative action with traditional capital-labour dynamics to influence labour regulation in GPNs in new and contradictory ways.