Regulatory design and interactions in worker-driven social responsibility initiatives: The Dindigul Agreement

Abstract

This article explores the rise of worker-driven social responsibility (WSR) initiatives to combat labour and human rights abuse in global supply chains. We focus on the Dindigul Agreement, a pioneering WSR agreement initiated by an independent, majority Dalit trade union run by women in Dindigul, India, which seeks to address gender-based violence in garment supply chains. Through key informant interviews and documentary analysis including coding in NVivo 12, we explore the establishment of the Dindigul Agreement, its distinctiveness in relation to other WSR agreements and its interactions with other supply chain governance tools.